Dreadful Decisions
by lightinthedarkestoftimes
Summary: Meet Luna, daughter of Rosalie Hale & Emmett Cullen. What will happen when she trusts the wrong people and pushes away those who are protecting her at their best? What will happen when she falls into something too far deep to get back out?
1. My Turn

**Ok so here is my first chapter of my first Twilight fanfic ever. So please don't judge me if some things aren't great... I'm very new at this. :) **

**I will be posting a chapter every second Monday. I really hope you all enjoy this! It truly comes from the bottom of my heart. I've been thinking about this fanfic for about 2 or 3 months now and I've really been wanting to share this so ENJOY! **

******* I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE WONDERFUL CHARACTERS OF THE TWILIGHT SAGA - THEY ALL BELONG TO THE GREAT STEPHENIE MEYER!*******

* * *

"Rosalie, relax. Everything is going to be fine. We just have to sign a few papers and we'll be parents. Just like that; like we've always wanted." Em soothed into my ear as he held me in his arms. We had traveled all the way from Cold Bay to Anchorage's Adoption Centre. Both Emmett and I were now waiting for the midwife to come out with our child; _**my child.**_We were lucky enough to have a man (or vampire) like Jasper on our side, who talked the company into giving us the first new born that was looking for a family, to us; two apparent 19-year-olds who had already tried for a baby but without success. If only that were true. It was extremely unusual here… but this had started eight months ago already. We waited for three months until Kate; a young 17-year-old girl went to the company asking for help. She was four months pregnant, the father of her child wanted nothing to do with her, and she knew she couldn't afford it all alone. Her baby needed a family, kind supporting parents like Emmett and I. Nobody needed to know who we were; what we were. We could raise this girl; no matter what problems were to come for us. I didn't care anymore. I deserved to be a mother just as much as Esme did…just as much as Bella did. I was going to be a mother and Emmett would be a father. That was the way it would be, and I didn't care who or what got in my way… because in the end, I'd get what I wanted. And I wanted this girl.

"I know, Em, I know." I replied tonelessly. I was far too anxious to meet our daughter that I could barely concentrate on what Em was whispering to me. But my thoughts never changed. If I were alive right now, my heart would be probably be pounding at over one-hundred miles per hour.

"Mr. Cullen and Ms. Hale?" asked a gentle voice to my right.

"Yes, Stacy?" replied Em quickly reading her name from the name-tag that was perfectly placed over her right breast. She was thin, fair skinned, had blonde hair, and a kind smile stamped on her face.

"Congratulations, you're parents" and in that moment all my worries, hopes, dreams that had been accumulated for the past 234 years of my existence, were shattered and fulfilled all at the same time. I was a mother. Me, Rosalie Hale; 234-year-old vampire that was forever 19, was a mother. "Would you like to meet your daughter?" she gestured to the long hallway that stretched out behind her.

"Yes," I choked out breathlessly. I couldn't believe it. I would finally get what I wanted. It had been 134 years after the birth of Renesmee and the turning of Bella. I had watched Bella and Edward raise Nessie in fast steps; watching from behind curtains and enviously glaring at the three when they'd play outside… one big happy family. Don't get me wrong, I was extremely grateful everything had worked out well for my brother… but now it was my turn. I'd get to raise this child, for real; like a human mother would. From baby to toddler to child to teenager to adult (to vampire). It was my turn.

We followed Stacy down the hall; the constant white walls and white marble floors making me more nauseous by the second. We stepped into a small, squared room that had a desk at the far end with one chair behind and two chairs in front. There were two bookshelves, one on each side of the desk, a water machine to the left corner when you walked in, and various different plants and flowers such as orchids and lilies that gave the perfectly organized room a final touch. On the desk which I assumed was Stacy's, there was an IMac FV, a few papers that were (again) perfectly piled up, a small circular container that held a couple of pens and pencils, a stapler, a hole puncher, and in the middle of the table at the very front where the two chairs stood, was a small sign that said, 'Mrs. Stacy Merriweather'.

Stacy gestured for us to take a seat as she did the same on the other end, "Ok, so before I take you into the room, I'll need you both to sign here," she pointed to the bottom left corner of a smaller sized page with antique handwriting that scribbled over it horizontally, "and here," she dragged her index finger to the right corner of the page.

Emmett signed first and I eagerly took the pen from his hand and signed as well, having a hard time to keep up to a natural human speed. I left the pen on the table and waited for our next instructions. At that point I was willing to do anything to get my daughter. "So you have already given her a name, filled out the family book, have her passport except for the missing photo which we'll complete later, signed all the papers for adoption, payed the bills for both the adoption and for the birth of this girl; now all we're missing are your fingerprints incase anything were to happen," Stacy finished as she opened a lower drawer to her left and took out some papers with Emmett's handwriting written over them and an ink pad. "Oh, and since you're moving in the next month, don't be surprised when some of our people go and have another house check in your new home. You say you'll be staying with your parents?" she looked at Emmett.

"Yes, our family likes to stay together… we will be living in a smaller house next to the main location, but it will still be on my parents' property," Em answered nonchalantly.

"Ok, that's perfect," Stacy nodded again and again. "May I?" she looked down at Emmett's hands and back up to him. Em stretched out his arm and let her take his much, much larger hands in hers as she pressed his finger on the black ink pad and then on the papers next to it. She repeated the same movement with each of Emmett's fingers. On his last finger she said "There we go," to nobody in particular and handed Em a wet paper towel so he could clean out his hand. Stacy repeated the same process with my hand and also handed me an identical wet towel as to Emmett's. "Here are all her papers," continued Stacy as she straightened the stack on her desk and put them inside a transparent folder, then handing it to me. "Should we?" she stood up, scooted in her chair, and walked to the door.

I tucked the papers in my bag and inhaled deeply hoping it would help; it didn't. Emmett put one arm around my waist as a comforting gesture and together we walked out of the room, Stacy a few steps ahead of us. We followed her down the hall and took a left into a wing that indicated, 'Rooms 150-286'. Half way down this new, but familiar looking hall, Stacy stopped at room 212 and turned around to face Em and me. "I thought a private room might make the moment more tangible and realistic," she smiled, "are you ready?"

We both nodded and I could feel Em tighten his grip around my waist. We'd both been waiting for this moment for far too long. Stacy's hand gripped the handle and pushed the door open, slowly creaking on its way.

There, next to an uncomfortable looking bed, was a crib decorated in pink lace, and I knew that inside lay my daughter. My child. Our girl. "I'll leave you three for a while now," smiled Stacy as she kindly excused herself out of the room; leaving us alone. I couldn't take it any longer; I had to see her, to hold her. I rushed at an inhuman speed across the room and stared at the most beautiful creature I had ever set eyes on. She was so small, with hands and feet the size of half my finger. Her mouth hung open, the corners tilting into a smile; she had big blue eyes, and small black curls forming over the top of her tiny head. She stretched her arms out towards me and yawned, closing her eyes tightly in the process. I slowly scooped her up into my arms and simply stood there, staring; for it was all I could do. I felt Emmett's eyes look intently at her as well. We stood there for minutes, in silence, cautiously looking at every motion our daughter did. But all she'd do was snuggle against my chest and sleep.

I heard the door crack open and recognized six very familiar set of footsteps, "How are the new parents doing? You've been in here for ages! We started to get worried," whispered Alice as she took her first glimpse at our daughter.

"Where's Ness – uh, Renesmee?" asked Emmett, cautiously correcting himself before Bella would. It might have been 134 years after her birth, but some things never changed. I smiled.

"She left this morning. She's with…" Edward paused to clear his throat, "with Jacob." Like I said before, some things never changed, especially Edwards despise towards Jacob who was 'irrevocably in love' or whatever, with his daughter.

Again, we all stood there staring at the newcomer to our already large family. I held her in my arms for the first half hour or so, not needing to sit on the bed or shift my weight. I was just fine the way I was and I could have stayed like that forever if it weren't for Em that forced me to pass her around the room, so that each member could hold her for a while. She was small, so fragile, but she was nonetheless ours.

I finally had what I wanted. Everything would work out. I'd protect her no matter what got in our way. I'd die for her. I'd do anything for her. She was mine. Just like her birth certificate stated,

_Luna Cullen_

_Daughter of Emmett Cullen and Rosalie Hale_

_19.10.2142_

**_My Luna._**

* * *

**So I really hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter to my attempt on this fanfic... **

**Please Rate & Review**

**Also feel free to send me personal messages :)**

**CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM PEOPLE!! (Not mean comments please)**

**BTW, I do know that there is no such thing as an IMac FV... but I just needed a *FUTURE VERSION* for apple 134 years from now :P**

**Love, Saskia **


	2. The Truth I Must Face

**Firstly, I'd like to thank all of you readers/reviewers for keeping up with this fic... sorry I haven't posted this earlier, but I've been inexplicably busy & I also had some problems with my publishing... (I know it's 2 weeks late) - don't kill me.**

**SHOUT OUT TO /VampInMyBlood for helping me out with small deets in this chapter... LOVE YOU!**

**Now I shall shut up and let you ENJOY! ^^**

_

* * *

___

16 years later

Bella POV

I knew this day would come. I knew I'd eventually have to face the truth of that dreaded call. The call I knew I would get because this was what I had signed up for. We were living in Bonners Ferry, Idaho and we'd been moving around every four years or so. Surprisingly enough, it never got boring. I thought that I'd maybe get tired of places considering this would be the routine forever; but Edward was there with me. Edward kept me distracted and things always went perfectly fine.

***

"_Edward stop! Come on, I'm serious. It isn't funny anymore," I laughed as Edward tickled me in the backseat of his car. We were in the school parking lot -- early as usual and Edward had become much more playful ever since I was less breakable. But you couldn't blame us; we were fully awake all the time… we __needed __some distraction. _

_Renesmee was never around anymore. She moved from place to place with Jacob because none of the two ever aged. Renesmee was now a fully grown vampire and Jacob never aged because of Renesmee's constant presence around him. As always Edward was very protective of his daughter, but I had to convince him that she would always be with Jacob; and Jacob couldn't be with us. That's why they took their separate ways. They'd both stop in every weekend or two since they would always live in the same state as the rest of us… but it would never be the same. Her growth had passed by us in the blink of an eye, and before we knew it she was gone. But Edward and I both knew that that was the way it would have to be; and we learnt to live with it._

"_Please Edward! Please," I gasped. "Ok, ok… you win. Whatever you want, you can have it." I screamed, "Edward just pl—" I was cut off by his honey flavored lips. They always tasted the same, perfect and mine. I felt Edwards hand run slowly up my thigh, my waist, my neck, and then he cupped my cheek under his grip, flipping me over so that his full weight was over me. Edward chuckled as he pulled away and started playing with a strand of hair._

"_So beautiful, I'll never get tired." He sighed as he lowered himself back onto me. I gripped the hair at the back of his head subconsciously and traced the tip of my tongue over his lips, tasting him felt like heaven had just walked down and slapped me smack in the face. He leaned his forehead on mine and continued smiling like a kid on Christmas morning, how I loved him. This time I rolled myself onto him, taking advantage of him not being able to predict my plan. I pushed myself onto him more forcefully, wanting more and more of him; he was like a drug… I just couldn't get enough. His scent, so bewildering and deadly intoxicating, but I couldn't resist the urge to have him at all times. I sucked on his bottom lip as he clung onto mine, but just as soon as all this began, it was over; and I, just as always, was as disappointed. "People will start driving in any minute now," Edward said as he rose from his seat making me fall beside him. _

"_You're right," I inhaled deeply and then let out a dramatic sigh. I tucked back a few loose strands of hair that had fallen out from my braided do Alice had spent all dawn preparing; I really hope she wouldn't notice… but considering it was Alice, I profoundly doubted it. _

"_Come on, I can hear the first of cars already," Edward said as he swiftly stepped out and offered his hand to mine. I smiled and took it eagerly._

_Later that day, Edward and I went for a quick hunting trip, snatching the first few deer we spotted. We were both far too distracted with other things, and now that we spent all our time together and ignored almost all humans around us, the thirst became less overpowering and that made things a lot easier. As both Edward and I walked inside our humble residence here in Bonners Ferry hand in hand, the phone rang. I 'walked' to it, picked up the phone and sat on the kitchen counter, tangling my fingers around the cable of the expressively antique phone "Hello?" I asked._

_I recognized the voice that spoke back, but there was an immense amount of sorrow that hung tightly onto it, "Hey Bella, it's me Jacob."_

"_What is it Jacob? What's the matter? Did something happen? Is Renesmee ok?" I felt my voice hitch as I panicked inside. Jacob was a happy character, he never acted like this… if I was right, and he really wasn't feeling too good, I knew for sure something had gone wrong. Terribly wrong. _

"_Nessie's fine, nothing happened to __her__." Jacob replied lifelessly; he implied that somebody else wasn't fine and this was not a good sign. In fact I was so petrified by the tint of guilt I could sense in him, I wasn't sure if to hang up the phone and hide. Jacob sighed, he knew he had to come out with whatever it was that was nagging him, "It's Charlie, Bella. Bella, I'm so sorry. He's gone." _

_I had no words to speak, I had no tears to shed, I had no heart to stop. My world had just crashed before me in a series of unfortunate attacks that consisted of those three words. That one statement that I knew for sure was out to get me and had now finally caught me up inside. It felt like someone was chocking me, a feeling I had nearly forgotten of, for I no longer needed to gasp for breath… yet, I needed Charlie. Even if I couldn't be with him, I needed him. I needed to say goodbye. I already missed him._

_***_

We were now back in gloomy old Forks, nothing had changed except for its people. Everyone I knew was long gone. I knew that but I just hadn't pictured myself facing it. Driving past the graveyard that kept my old friends and family; where Jess and Angela lay, where Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie rested, and where my father, Charlie Swan now hid under the many layers of earth that had swallowed him whole. They were gone, he was gone… yes, they truly were. This was no dream of mine, this was real, and I didn't know how to get over it.

* * *

**Ok so that's that... I really hope you all liked it.**

**I know it isn't really long but I think I got my point across for now (there will be more on Bella's sorrow later on)**

**THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!**

**Now don't forget to R&R ^^**

**xxSaskiaxxx**


	3. Beautiful Stranger

**I'd firstly like to thank you all for supporting me with this fanfic, it means so much to me to know that there are people out there who are interested in my writing. Thank you so much for the kind reviews and PM's!! I got about 201 hits the day I posted my second chapter... and for that I've spent the past two days working on this chapter - just for you :)**

**So here it is, the first Luna POV... ENJOY! **

* * *

LPOV

'First days always suck, especially when you have your mom roaming around you pretending to be your sister' was my first thought as I blinked a couple of times and stretched in bed before sitting up straight and looking around my new room. Well, it was new to me. Apparently this was the house my family always stayed in when they came to Forks; nobody else seemed to be able to afford it. This room was acceptably large, like all my others, and had two of its walls made of thick glass windows that gave me a wondrous view of the wet, green forest.

I had also learnt that this room used to belong to Uncle Edward until he and Aunt Bella married and moved out to the cute wooden hut out back. The furniture obviously wasn't the same anymore though, now I had adjusted it to my standards and not to a nearly 300-year-old male vampire's. Aunt Alice had come with me for an early shopping spree a couple of days before, to buy completely new furniture and make this room more accommodating for me.

You could say I probably lived every girls dream, but I wouldn't agree. There was something missing but I wasn't quite sure what though. You'd think that by having all of this luxury I'd have many friends and great popularity, but I didn't. Nobody wanted to hang out with the weird loner that was related to the creepily gorgeous Cullen's. In fact, many people doubted that was even true since I could never reach up to their perfect standards.

Sometimes I hated my family for it, but I remained silent and tried to keep my thoughts clear around Uncle Edward, who's annoying powers sometimes got the best of me. I also couldn't help but to be thankful at what gifts were being given to me, especially one in particular. I wasn't scared of changing; I knew that day would come soon... my birthday was only a couple of days away and the plan was to turn me at eighteen, so that gave me another year of human life. I wasn't eager for it, I enjoyed being human, but I wanted so bad to be like the rest of my family; to be immortal, indestructible, beautiful. Who wouldn't want that anyway? I wasn't afraid of the pain, I knew it was necessary and Grandpa had discovered a way of making it much less dreadful. When they turned Aunt Bella after a great amount of unfortunate events, they found out that by feeding enough morphine to the human before his or her change, the memory would keep little of the happening and the pain would be much more tolerable. According to Aunt Bella she barely remembered a thing of those three days.

I stood up from bed and dragged my feet to the bathroom. After taking a quick glance at myself in the mirror, I rapidly hastily washed my face off with an necessary force to get rid of my horrid appearance. I then swiped the eye-liner inside and around the corners of my eyes and smudged it slightly to give a more smoky effect.

I then groggily walked into my closet and looked around in my new stack of clothes. Aunt Alice made sure I had the latest of everything in fashion and treated me like a doll since Aunt Bella refused to ever let her do that. I picked out black leggings, a simple black top, and a ruffled, red, high skirt. I pulled everything on as swiftly as I managed in the dim light and then quickly slipped into a pair of black, ankle boots. I lastly took out my new, red, Sherlock Holmes styled coat. It was a thick, warm, soft material and had big, black buttons that worked their way up.

I flung the coat over my arm and walked down the stairs to find dad making chocolate chip pancakes. I loved how he ignored his instinctive feeling to be repulsed at my human diet and tried his best for me anyway. I hung the coat over one of the decorative living room chairs and went over to the counter, kissed my dad on the cheek and sat down, taking a large gulp from the orange juice I supposed my father had also placed there for me.

"Looking gorgeous, hun," smiled grandma from the sofa; she was reading the latest book by Kim Lorton. It still felt really weird calling someone as young-looking as Esme, grandma; but that's what she was to me.

"Not as much as all of you," I muttered under my breath and then cursed at myself for forgetting that they had all probably heard me.

"Luna! You must stop with this nonsense, there's no point in behaving like this! You're beautiful and wonderful and extremely nice, why do you have to think like that?" began my mom again with her overprotective crap, I hated it when she tried to get all motherly on me. I ignored her continuous rant and stuffed three whole pancakes in, one after the other. "Luna! Are you listening to me?!? Luna! Answer me young lady!" she cried and her nostrils flared in anger. You'd think I'd know better than to piss off an over-sensitive vampire… but she was my mother, she wouldn't hurt me anyway.

But just like that, something inside me snapped and I knew that today was going to be just as horrible as I had predicted. "What? What do you want me to say, mom? That I'm sorry? That I'm just as perfect as the rest of you are? I'm not like you mom! I'm human and mortal! I eat human food and am over-stuffed with hormones! I'm not you, mom! I'm me, so stop trying so hard to change the way I am!" I couldn't face her any longer; I needed fresh air, so I threw on my coat, grabbed my keys and stormed out, leaving my family with shocked faces and jaw-dropped open mouths.

As I walked into the car, I couldn't help but let a few tears streak my face, tickling my cold skin that was exposed to the arid air. I stepped into my Audi TTS Roadster and sniffed a couple of times, before starting the engine and leaving. While driving down the main road I let the tears fall; I didn't know why I was feeling like this so often. I had never confronted my mother about how I felt before, but her insisting me on being just like the rest of them made me feel that much more different. Sometimes I felt so apart from them, I felt like a mere stranger you'd come across in town. An outcast; what a perfect description... I'd never be anything more than that.

Suddenly, I felt my car halt at a great force, making me jolt forward and hit my head against the steering wheel. I looked up in confusion and saw what was around me. While I was so caught up in thought I had lost attention, crossed a red stop-light, and crashed into a car moving across the street. Luckily the driver had seen me so both our cars weren't in such bad condition, but I felt extremely guilty. Preoccupied at what chaos I had just caused, I got out of my car to check on the driver from the other car. "I'm so sorry. I –" I didn't know what to say to the stranger that stepped out. He was tall, lean yet muscular, with brown, side-cut hair and chocolate brown eyes.

"Are you crazy?" He called "What the hell is your problem? Can't you see? Don't you understand the meaning of a RED STOP-LIGHT?!?" He looked over the front of his vehicle to inspect for any damage. Thanks to some miracle, both cars were acceptably fine except for a small dent in mine and a few scratches on both of their paint jobs.

"I got distracted, I wouldn't have – I mean, if I would have seen it I wouldn't have crossed. I'm so sorry. Let me pay," I stumbled on the right thing to say and then hurriedly walked back to get my wallet inside the car.

I shuffled in my bag until I found what I wanted, pulled back a few strands of my black curls from my face and walked back to the beautiful stranger that was staring at me in disbelief. "No, it's fine. You don't have to pay," he looked at his wrist watch and groaned. "I have to go; I'm late and you might want to check that out" He pointed at my forehead walked back into his car, slamming the door shut. He started the car and left, its wheels screeching in the process. What was _his_ problem? I'd said I was sorry, I'd offered to pay, he had denied and yet he still acted like I was some jerk who'd walked away from the crash site. 'What an ass' I thought and then remembered what he'd told me. I pulled my arm up to my forehead and saw that I'd hit my head so strongly that I was bleeding. "Shit" I muttered; I'd probably need stitches. What a perfect day.

I drove to Forks' hospital which I knew because grandpa worked there; I didn't mind him. I knew I could always talk to him whenever I needed to… if I ever felt confused Carlisle and Esme would always be there. I sighed and drove off to the correspondent direction, slowly starting to feel the stinging pain more and more as the moments passed. Minutes later I got to the hospital and walked up to the only nurse that stood behind the counter. "Only a minute," she smiled as she finished typing something on her computer. She was older looking with blond, shoulder length hair, small eyes, and thin pink lips; her name-tag read Elizabeth. When Elizabeth looked up from the screen, her eyes widened and her voice spoke with worry, "Oh dear! What did you do? Come with me sweetie, this looks like you're going to need stitches," – my thoughts exactly. She walked around the counter, took my hand, and walked me through two sets of glass doors and into a small room.

Elizabeth sat me down on a stool and then looked around the room for her tools. Once she had it all gathered she left it on a small metal tray and began opening the packages one by one, removing things such as a needle, some cloth to patch up the wound, and an small bottle containing a brownish liquid. "This will hurt just a little, but you're a strong girl," she comforted me as she began. I flinched at the first pass but then slowly accommodated myself to the sting. "Could you tell me your name dear?" Elizabeth asked, obviously trying to distract me.

"I'm Luna Cullen," I smiled up at her, cautiously trying not to move too much and cause her to do something wrong.

"Carlisle's daughter?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow giving me a questioning look. Obviously Carlisle was already popularly known among the nurses and other doctors; how could I have forgotten?

I sighed, "Yeah, the one and only," she cut the thin string, tapped my forehead with the disgusting looking liquid that made the wound burn more, and patched it all up.

"That should do the trick… about a week from now you ask your father to check on it and he should most likely be able to take them out by then," Elizabeth smiled and put everything away. "Now, be more careful next time," she helped me out of the room and I left to school. On my way there I followed most young drivers that seemed to be going to school as well; in no time I found myself pulling into Forks High's parking lot.

Just as I walked out of my car I saw my mothers' bright red Mercedes pull in from the corner of my eye, afraid to have to face her I took my bag, locked my car, and bolted for the door. I looked around and saw the reception entrance at the far left. I walked to it, cautiously trying to regain my breath. After quickly getting all my information, I walked to my locker, left my notebooks, and sprinted to my first class; history. I didn't care if I was too early; all I could do now was hope that nor Alice, Bella, Jasper, or Edward were in the same lessons as me. I couldn't bare their stares… lunch would already be great torture.

I found the room, only with a few people inside; I sighed and sat into the first seat I found. As minutes passed the class began to fill itself until the teacher and a familiar face walked in. He walked towards me and I felt my heart speed up, skipping a beat. The only seat left was the one next to mine; just my luck.

"Quiet down class!" called the teacher over the loud voices of the impatient students. Slowly people began to 'sh' others and after another two or three minutes the class was silent; though the short peace was broken soon after by the high pitched screech of a boy's chair, the boy who just happened to be sitting right next to me. "Respect back there, my lesson has started," frowned the teacher.

He just rolled his eyes and slouched down in his seat. I inhaled deeply and looked to the front of the class, trying to pay attention and do something good for once today. "Hello, I'm Mr. Turner and I will be your history teacher for the rest of this wonderful year," he finished his sentence in a more sarcastic tone. "Today we're going to start on The Duke of Wellington," he continued but I didn't quite capture the rest because I was interrupted by a shuffling of paper beside me.

I looked to my right and saw a lined piece of paper with a few scribbles at the top. I looked closer and saw that the scribbles were words that the he beside me had written. At the top of the page the words read,

**So we meet again…**

I looked up at him; he was looking at the teacher as if he were paying any attention at all to what he was saying. I sighed, took a pen from my bag, and began writing.

_I guess so. I'm really sorry about your car… is there really nothing I can do?_

He shifted in his seat and discreetly answered.

**Yes. I was sure the first time I told you… this is boring. Tell me a bit about you, then I can at least leave this deathtrap having learnt something more interesting than the history of whatever this dudes name is.**

I chuckled and shook my head in disbelief before picking up the pen again, I lied.

_He's the Duke of Wellington and there's nothing interesting about me you really need to know…_

**What if you start with your name?**

_OK… I'm Luna Cullen, I've been moving around all my life but I was born in Alaska and I feel terribly sorry about this morning; no matter what you say. What about you?_

**I'm Sage Miller, seventeen, an average teenager... and you really don't have to apologize for anything.**

Sage smiled; I did too.

* * *

**OK, so that was that... I really hope you all liked it :) Now don't forget to R&R and send me PM's if you have any questions**

**Love, Saskia.**


	4. Timeless Tears

**I'm back! Sorry it's been a while... now I know that for those of you who follow me on twitter I promised to publish chapter 4 this past weekend. But I had quite a crazy time and unfortunately it didn't involve me finishing the chapter. So I know it's three days late, but here it is. **

**I didn't get so many reviews this time so please, please, please tell me what you think and what I could improve. If you have any ideas, PM me!**

**So here it is... ENJOY :)**

* * *

Chapter 4 – LPOV

"So you went to the doctor," Sage pointed at my forehead as he guided me to my next class. "See, I should have said sorry," he continued. I waited for his apology, but nothing. I looked at him with a questioning look and Sage chuckled, shaking his head. "I said I _should_ have apologized; not that I would."

I planned on saying something in return, but his previous comment left me speechless; he was right. I looked down at my feet, trying to concentrate on my footsteps and nobody else's.

"I was joking, you know that right?" Sage said. I looked back up at him and nodded.

"I know. You're just… different."

"Thank-you; I try really hard to be an outcast. It's been my lifelong dream," Sage ranted sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it that way," I argued.

He interrupted, "I know. So how long has it been since your family moved up here?"

"Not long. About three days," I explained.

"Really? Not much at all… so you still must be unpacking." He made his last statement sound more like a question.

"Nah, we're a big family and we have experience. So we're actually pretty much done." What Sage didn't know was that apart from experience, my family moved at the speed of light and could be done in minutes… not days.

"Woah, that's really fast. So you move around a lot?"

"More than I can explain, this short break in between classes wouldn't give me enough time," I tried to give him the right idea as we stopped in front of what I assumed was my math class.

"Well, will I ever know the story?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pocket and cocking his head as if trying to figure out the answer.

"Maybe you will someday," I smiled and entered the class, leaving Sage gob-smacked behind me.

The rest of the day went by slowly. It seemed that whenever Sage wasn't around, this town would be dryly boring; oddly enough considering the weather. I had spotted Sage with his group of guy friends out on a table at the far corner of the cafeteria; but he didn't seem to see me when I passed by. So I sat by myself, avoiding my families faces which I could literally feel over me like large weights glued onto my back.

Spanish class was incomprehensible, Biology was easy, PE was fun but would have been better if someone actually wanted to pair up with me, and Human Ingenuity was just as boring as it had always been. The whole time I concentrated on what would happen when I got home, I tried to avoid such thoughts… but I failed to do so. Would they ignore me? Would dad try to give me a pep talk? Would Bella look at me strangely like she usually did? What would my mom say about my head; or my car for that matter? Would grandma try to stop the fight I could feel coming? Would Alice try to distract me with more clothes or fashion items? All these questions kept piling up; even if I already knew the answers.

By the time I reached the parking lot, my family had already left. 'Great' I thought, now the attention would be driven towards me the second I'd pull up our driveway. This day just seemed to get better and better. I knew this would happen; that feeling under my skin and deep in my bones never failed to be right.

I drove around town for a few hours, trying to convince myself to not be a coward, to go up to my family and confront whatever they had to say to me. But it took me more than I thought it would before I got myself to do so. Night fell and it began raining… again. This time the drops fell with a harsher force and soon enough there was thunder. I was a dead person; if I didn't die because of the god–awful weather then my mother would surely do what the storm left undone. I drove into the large garage in which we managed to store more than 7 cars and sucked in a deep breath, preparing for what would come next. I stepped out of the car and locked it from behind me as I went up the flight of stairs that took me to the large kitchen that pretty much belonged to me.

I acted as normally as I could as I made my way towards the new set of stairs that would lead me to my bedroom. But the next words I heard stopped me at my tracks and I knew my thoughts had given me away. "Where have you been Luna? It's 9:30PM, you've had me worried sick!" I turned around and saw my mother standing in the middle of the living area, arms crossed, and an indescribably 'pissed off' face.

"Nowhere, I was just driving around. I needed time to… think." I sighed, looked to the floor and I leaned with one hand on the side of the stairs. My eyes could barely meet hers, I hated to admit it, but they had always intimidated me.

"Nowhere? Nowhere?!?" my mother asked in exasperation. "You could have called to say something! As far as I know, you could have gotten hurt… and then what? What would you do? Huh?!?" She waited for an answer, but I simply shrugged, unable to speak. "Oh wait! You _are_ hurt! Would you care to explain that, Luna? Don't you realize how important you are to me? I can't afford to lose you! I saw you with that Sage guy… who is he? Did he do that to you?" she continued.

'Stop! Stop! Stop!' I thought to myself. Why wouldn't they all just leave me alone? Why wouldn't she just let me be? "Oh please, mom! Don't come making assumptions; that '_Sage guy'_ just happened to make my day worth while… you, on the other hand, keep ruining it! And this," I pointed at my forehead, "I was in a car accident. Nothing serious, just a few stitches; I'll survive. So don't come to me with your ridiculous thoughts! Sage didn't do anything; I'm safer with him than you anyways!" I yelled at her.

She shocked me when she reappeared in front of me at an incredible speed, "Don't you _ever _dare speak to your mother again like that," she raised a finger at me and I noticed how the rest of my family stared at us.

I had had enough, this was too much. First this morning, then she followed me around, now this? "NO! I can do what I want! I'm _sixteen_! You can't watch my every move for the rest of my life! How dare you even follow me around and watch whoever I talk to? It's none of your business! Most parents don't have that opportunity, but you who have it use it for selfish reasons! I can talk to who I want! I can do whatever I want! I can be whoever I want to be! And if you don't like it, why don't you try to stop me? You're not even my mother!" I raged. I was furious and I wouldn't last another second in the same room as her, so I stomped up the stairs and slammed my door shut.

URG! I swore I wished them all to disappear and let me be. I could never do anything all the other teenagers did. I couldn't go out, I couldn't invite people in, I couldn't party or have fun for that matter, I didn't even have friends to begin with. I would trade money and clothes for one simple thing; to be normal. I hated this, the fighting and shouting, the attention, the annoying conversation that was probably going on downstairs. I sighed and let myself fall to the floor in tears; I had bottled everything up for so long I couldn't even care if my parents could hear my sobs from below. It served them right anyway.

I tried to compose myself as well as I could, as I gently opened my door to head for the shower. I ignored the soft murmurs that came from my mother discussing with the rest of my family. I could hear her telling them how dangerous this world was for me and whatnot, as I could hear my grandparents and Bella contradicting her about everything. I stripped off my clothes, leaving them in a trail in the large white and golden bathroom. I turned the shower on; making sure it was the right temperature before I got in. The water was a soothing caress as I let it cascade over my skin. I was reminded of the problems I still had not solved with my mother and that the second I'd turn the water off, my problems would come to get me once again. I wanted a normal life, with a normal family and a normal future.

The thoughts brought on the sudden emotions that I had tried to block out and once again, before I could stop myself, I was a sobbing wreck. I numbly lowered myself to the bath tub and let the hot water pellet my back as I wrapped my arms around my knees and wept for the things I had been holding back.

After brushing my teeth, I numbly walked back to my room and slipped on a clean pair of pajamas. I hid under the covers and for what seemed like the hundredth time, I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning I ignored my drowsy feel, got up and got dressed. I dragged my feet down the steps and avoided the looks of my family members. I took some toast and coffee, and then walked out the door without saying a word. Just like I had ignored my parents, Sage seemed to keep his distance too. He was probably like all the other jerks I had met. What a surprise… things never went the way I wanted them to go.

A week passed and things slowly started getting more normal around home. I began talking again, but never to my mother and never to Sage. Every time I approached him and he noticed, he'd turn around and walk away. But on Thursday, things changed its course. "Luna! Hey, wait up!" I heard Sage call as he ran towards me. I rolled my eyes and turned to face him; people could be so fake sometimes.

"What do you want?" I asked arrogantly as I crossed my arms.

"I wanted to apologize for how I've acted," he began, but I really had no time for this. So I turned around and began walking away, just like he had so many other times.

"Luna!" he grabbed my arm, "Look, it's not me. It's just my friends can be a bit pushy sometimes; they don't want me around you. I was just trying to get them off my back… I'm sure you understand."

I sighed, "Yeah, of coarse I do."

Sage raised his eyebrows, "You do?" he asked surprised.

"Of course, you're just trying to blend in. Be cool and follow the crowd; since that is so awesome," I said sarcastically before continuing to walk away.

"Luna!"

"What?!?" I yelled and turned back around, my eyes narrowing into his.

"I'm really sorry," he said earnestly, but I didn't know what to believe. I had been wrong. Someone actually being nice to me was out of the usual, and for that reason it just had to be fake.

"You know what, Sage? I thought you were different; that you'd ignore what you saw on the outside and you'd try to see deeper. But I was wrong; you're just like everyone else. You didn't really care, you never cared; I mean, you were probably just trying to get some. But you know what? I'm tired. I'm tired of waiting around to meet the right person; so I've given up completely. Just leave, and while you're at it how about you don't ever try to speak to me again?" I kept on going, holding back the tears that I could see forming once again.

"What if I make it up to you?" Sage asked from behind, making me halt.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I can make it up to you," he tried.

"No," I argued, "You can't."

But Sage ignored my answer – shocker – and continued, "How about dinner?"

"What are you talking about; I just told you to leave me alone." I couldn't believe him. I couldn't believe anything for that matter. This town was messing with me. Something was just not right. Or I didn't express myself well, or Sage was just plain deaf. Sage just stared at me, waiting for my answer, "No." I said, trying to get him to understand the obvious meaning of, '_**leave me alone**_'.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven," he concluded, and with that, he left.

* * *

**Thank you again for putting up with my slowness... I really hope you liked it!**

**Now don't forget to R&R!! **

**Saskia xx**


	5. What If?

**Hey guys! I have quite a few things to tell you. Firstly I'd like to thank all of you for reading my fic and being so incredibly nice about it. Considering this is the first time I ever do anything like this, I'd like to thank you for the support. #2 - There is, however, a problem… and that is I've stopped getting reviews. I get about 20 _views_ a day but I never get told what you think. So please tell me… or I won't be able to know if you actually enjoy reading this! Please review or send me a PM. If you don't have an account you can tell me via Twitter or VenomIntoxicate. #3 – I HAVE MY FINALS COMING UP! :S Which means, unfortunately, no writing time for me. Now, if you like _Dreadful Decisions _trust me… I feel the same about this. I want to spend time writing for you guys, but I doubt I will be able to. My finals end on Tuesday, June 1st. So I PROMISE that somewhere between Friday, June 4th and Sunday, June 6th, Chapter 6 will be up. Now I will finally shut up and let you guys read… so ENJOY my second chapter Bella POV.**

* * *

_Bella POV_

The only wrong thing with immortality is that it tends to go on forever, while most of your loved ones… don't. I stood there, staring at the round-cut stone that lay peacefully on the ground.

_Charlie Swan_

_1973-2062_

_Loving father, admirable protector, unforgettable soul._

I couldn't understand why I thought this day would never come. I wouldn't understand the simple factor of death, I didn't want to. He was gone, Charlie was dead. So was Renee and so was everyone else. I had been so stubborn as to ignore such simple happenings. It was meant to happen, and I was meant to be at the funeral that day. I was meant to be lying there with him now. I wasn't meant to be out here, alive… or at least, partially.

If I were able to change this, I would. I'd have Charlie and Renee alive instead of me. I would take their place in death. But there I came again with my selfishness; of course I'd rather take their place. So would anyone else… death, I was sure, was so much simpler than life. In life you'd grieve and go through this terrifying pain, while in death you'd simply watch. Knowing that they'd join you someday in that new, unexplainable world you found yourself in. No tears, no heartache, no damage; you'd know everything would be ok.

For me, it was different. I stood there feeling everything; even the unwanted. The pain of loss I had tried to ignore for so long, I had forgotten even existed. That uninvited feeling that crawled under your skin and hurt you from within. That soreness in your heart that made it feel 30 pounds heavier. That ache in your throat that choked you and made it nearly impossible to breathe, even for me… someone that didn't need air. That nauseating feeling in the pit of your stomach that made you want to hurl out all emotions. That frustrating sting at your nose that made you want to break down in remorse and grieve for the rest of your time being.

While most people would avoid such things, I was trying the complete opposite. I wanted to cry… yet all I could manage were broken, tearless sobs.

I started wondering when it all stopped making sense, because right now, I couldn't understand. I remembered how sure I used to be about this, about my decision. But that was then and I would never be able to go back.

I choked another sob as a slight breeze tugged at some loose strands of my long chocolate curls. I closed my eyes and tried to remember all memories with Charlie, but then I realized how much I had really ignored him while in Forks. How much time I had spent with Edward and his family and things I believed more important at the time.

There were small things, tiny memories… not many, but I knew I'd never forget them. That awkward, one armed hug he'd given me when I stepped out the plane in Forks. The morning of my _dreaded_ 18th birthday, when he'd given me his present that I'd particularly told him not to buy. His annoyed expression when I'd told him about visiting Jacksonville with Edward. That one time he'd walked into Edward and me kissing on his kitchen counter. His embarrassing attempt at giving me THE sex talk. Those small things that seemed so insignificant back then… but now under the dull, grey sky meant everything. Again and again I scavenged through my mind, trying to remember more… but everything seemed so foggy and distant.

I felt Edwards hand on my shoulder, and I shivered at the thought of me actually even considering giving up Edward for Charlie. I was a terrible daughter, I knew that… but the only reason I left was to be with Edward, and I wasn't about to change my mind. Not now, not ever… I'd always love Charlie, but without Edward, I was nobody. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked dubiously.

I nodded and took in a deep breath before whispering, "Yeah, I just need a minute alone with him," I looked down. I was embarrassed at how weak I was, I thought I was prepared for this, but I wasn't… and now, thanks to me, Edward would feel guilty about my pain. As impossibly strong I was physically, mentally, I was as breakable as a twig like the ones that lay beneath my feet.

"Ok," Edward kissed my cheek, "I'll wait for you in the car." I watched him walk away, his perfectly messy hair swaying in the air, hands in pockets, thoughts veiled underneath his molten eyes.

I turned back around to face my father's grave and for almost an instant, it felt like he was really there. "I'm sorry," I said softly and shook my head in disappointment; I had let myself down. I would never learn from my or anyone else's mistakes, I just didn't know how.

I could hear small birds chirping and fluttering around me, I listened carefully, distinguishing each flap and I began to wonder. What if I hadn't changed? What if I had never had Renesmee? What if I hadn't asked Edward for us to try? What if I had never fallen in love with Edward? What if I had never met Edward? What if I had never decided to go live with Charlie in Forks? What if I had simply sucked it up like I always had and stayed with Renee in Phoenix? I knew that to these overly complex questions, there was just one answer… the simple answer that I feared so much. Death; **_I_ **would be dead.

That emptiness I'd felt so long ago when Edward left. That feeling of loneliness was coming back; it was like replaying those dreadful five months I'd spent alone. Worst of all, those were the months I could have spent together with Charlie, yet I ignored him… like I always had.

It seemed like the only human memories that I recalled clearer were those that I had spent in pain. Like those were more important than my happiness; a curse saying that I deserved to live with my horrible memories if I wanted to keep the joy Edward gave me. I hoped that maybe the smallest part of Charlie forgave me for how I'd acted; for lying. I knew the chances of that were microscopic, but there was a part inside of me that was still human… a part that hoped.

I had brought a fully bloomed red rose with me as a small detail to leave behind. I placed it over the stone, next to Charlie's name. "I love you, dad. I'm sorry," I whispered and began walking back to the car.

I crawled inside Edward's silver Volvo, quiet. It was like Edward had read my mind to instantly drive away from the graveyard the second I closed the door. He knew I hated being here, surrounded by my mistakes of what could and couldn't have been. "We don't have to go to school today. It's fine, we'll stay home." Edward murmured. He didn't have to raise his voice for me to hear. I nodded then leaned my head against the window. I closed my eyes and tried to think about all the good things that had come out of my horrible decisions. Sadly enough, the only one I could think of was the family that I now had… but it didn't matter, because at some point or another in my existence I had hurt each one of them in the most selfish of ways.

The piano keys felt oddly cold, even against my skin. It was an unfamiliar touch, like a person in a new place, my hands didn't belong there. But there was something about how Edward would play, something so magical… I couldn't help but want to experience it myself.

I pressed one of the keys and the sweet sound filled my ears, calming almost. There was no beat, no melody, nothing beautiful like what Edward had written for me; but it relieved me. I began playing notes at random and then heard Edward's footsteps from behind approaching me.

"Here, let me show you," he kissed the top of my head and scooted next to me on the bench. Edward played the first few keys of my lullaby and then signaled me to repeat. With my memory it wasn't that hard; Edward would play ten notes at a time and I'd repeat; soon enough I knew the lullaby I had heard so many times. I felt a rush of pleasure, a pleasure caused by how quickly I had picked up the song. During the hour that I spent learning, I had forgotten about everything else. My worries and _dreaded decisions_ had disappeared for that short time being, and it felt wonderful.

I smiled, "Thank you." Looking up into Edwards molten eyes, I felt human again. I felt that same anguish I used to feel when I was human; that need to be as perfect as him… that need to be able to be as helpful as he had just been to me. I knew the one thing that made _him_ happy; I lifted my hands to his accurately shaped cheeks and closed my eyes. I knew he knew what I was doing and I felt the tension in his body relax. He was worried for me, he always was… and this was my way of thanking him.

I thought about the day we met and how grateful I was for him pissing me off like he had. I thanked him for making me want to go and figure out who he was. I thanked him for saving me from getting squished by Tyler's car. I thought about our first kiss right outside the forest, after he'd been brave to show me his beauty. I thought about the day I had gone to save him and the rush of relief I'd felt to be in his arms again. I remembered the day he proposed to me and the anger yet hidden satisfaction I'd felt of knowing he wanted me forever. I thought about our wedding and our days in Isle Esme. But most of all, I repeatedly reminded him how much I loved him.

I opened my eyes and stared at the smile that was spread over my husband's face; slowly I began pulling away and waited for him to react. But instead of letting me rest my hands on my lap, Edward opened his eyes and pulled me into his arms. His lips met mine and while his right hand held my waist, his left tugged fiercely at my hair. Edward sat me up on the piano as his lips continued moving harshly yet in a tender way against mine.

I began unbuttoning his shirt and recalled the first time I had attempted to remove it. This time, however, like it had been since I wasn't breakable, he didn't push me away. And as many times as we'd gone through the same process, relief filled me. Even if I already knew he'd let me, I still managed to be shocked and incredibly happy every time.

Edward was fiddling with a strand of my hair as we lay under our bed sheets. I stared into his eyes unblinkingly, smiling. I hadn't quite yet been able to wrap my head around the fact that 134 years had already passed and I still lay here in the arms of my loved one.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Forever," Edward smiled.

* * *

**SO… I really hope you liked it and REMEMBER that the only way to let me know is by reviewing, so please do so. Sorry for making this depressing chapter, but unfortunately that was the harsh reality Edward had been warning Bella about. I ended it on a happier scale to relieve the pain she was going through and to emphasize the fact that Edward will ALWAYS be there for her. So thank you again for taking the time to read it and see you again in June!**


	6. Time is NEVER enough

**SORRY! I can't begin to explain how terrible I feel... in my last comments I said it was meant to go up a month ago. I just didn't expect that after finals I'd still run out of time! So this chapter is a little longer than usual and I'll be trying to get the next one up VERY soon. Its title relates to the story and my real life... "Time is NEVER enough" don't you think so too? So here it is... ENJOY! **

_

* * *

Luna POV_

Was I seriously going to do this? Did I have the guts to face exactly what I'd been avoiding? I didn't even want to be around Sage; but no, I had to let him manipulate me. I always seemed to ruin the situation no matter what it was. I rambled in my mind as I fixed myself in front of the mirror. The house was quiet, like it had been since my little confrontation a couple of days back. It was Friday, I had a date with Sage, and I was seriously not looking forward to it.

Uncle Edward obviously knew about my plans tonight, so I had no need to talk to "my mother" about it; I'd let someone else do my dirty work. My "parents" were really strict about who I dated and if I trusted them, etc, blah, blah, blah. I knew they were trying to be careful about our secret… but it was almost as if they didn't trust me. I mean grandpa and grandma were fine with all my boyfriends, even though I'd only had two that lasted about two weeks until I brought them home and they saw who I was related to.

I sighed at my reflection, black jeans and a simple white top accessorized with a long necklace and a pair of turquoise converse. 'Whatever' I thought and abandoned my nervous double, heading to the long circular staircase.

Nobody said a word (again) as I walked into the kitchen and served myself a bowl of cereal. I ate silently, avoiding all hateful thoughts towards my "mother" and my plans for tonight. I wondered if everyone else could here the loud chewing I could hear. It seemed that everything was working against me. When I least wanted the attention, I got it; and when I maybe needed my "parents'" aid, they wouldn't notice. Murphy's Law, I guess. After breakfast I brushed my teeth and walked out the front door like I had every other day in this godforsaken town.

Rain. Great. "Another one of my favorite things" I muttered as I pulled my sweater over my head and ran toward school from the empty parking lot, leaving my car –that desperately needed a paint job- behind. 'I have to take it to a mechanic so that they can redo its thicker layer… before "mom" has a panic attack.' I rambled again in my mind; but it really was worse than I had thought.

I suddenly bumped into someone, someone I was honestly not looking forward to seeing. Sage was leaning on one of the tall school entryway columns. "Watch where you're going Speedy Gonzales," he chuckled, "you would have run into the wall if I hadn't been standing here." I glared at him silently… he honestly didn't get it, did he?

"What?" he smiled, "Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked and I backed away quickly, remembering I was still in his arms.

"You're saying you just 'happened' to be standing here to catch me, when you weren't a second ago? Really, Sage? Really?" I stared emphasizing the 'happened', quoting it with my hands.

"Why would you think I'm standing here, waiting for you?" he cocked an eyebrow, making me feel like lesser of a person. I hated his narcissistic personality; why couldn't he just be the good guy and lay off? The typical movie heartthrob that would make me fall head over heals for him?

"What do you want?" I questioned, frustrated. I shifted my weight and waited for his response as he pushed himself from the column with his right leg, dragging the scene and making me sigh exaggeratedly.

"Nothing, I'm just waiting for my guys. I told you before, sorry, but I'm not here for you," he shrugged and walked around me. "I'll pick you up tonight then," Sage winked at me and walked off to a group of guys. Urg, he made me want to hurl.

There were three guys. One blond and fairly muscular, he wore the lightest clothes out of all. The other was tall and lean like Sage, but with a dark expression that showed no intentions on smiling anytime in the future. The middle one was the tallest, a huge guy with another merciless face whose features gave the impression of not thinking twice before beating the crap out of you. They were definitely not the type of guys you would want to bump into in a dark alley around midnight.

I walked into school; backing away from Sage and his supposed friends. They didn't seem like the kind of guys Sage would spend time with... but whatever.

I quickly got my books from my locker and went to class, hoping that if I maybe hurried everywhere during the day, I would have more time to think about my date tonight. I didn't know what to do. If I should I bail or go? But if I went, what would I wear? What were we even going to do? Was it going to be casual or a sophisticated dinner? All these questions were making me dizzy and I didn't even know why I was worried. I didn't care about Sage or his thoughts, but the fact that he treated me differently and the fact that he didn't see me in the same way, made me want to do everything perfectly. Almost like I needed to prove him wrong… but was I trying to convince Sage? Was I trying to convince my family? Or was I trying to convince me?

"Early again, ?" smiled from behind his desk; he was writing today's assignment on the board.

"I'm used to traffic, still not used to the small population" I lied and sat down in my usual seat. I took my books out and sighed… I still had time until tonight, but I knew that like usual, time wouldn't be my biggest problem.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO WEAR? I screamed in silence as I searched through the mountain of clothes that had formed in the centre of my bedroom. I had less than an hour left and I still didn't even have an outfit. I was so screwed; not that it really mattered, but for some reason I felt the need to look good tonight. Edward was probably sick of my frantic thoughts, because soon enough he and Bella left hunting, joining my "parents".

I was so worked up about finding something to wear, that I nearly jumped out the window when I noticed Aunt Alice at my doorway. "Alice! God dammit, you scared the hell out of me." I exclaimed, one hand over my racing heart.

She giggled and pushed herself off the door frame she was leaning on, "Sorry, I just thought you could maybe use some help." She smiled at Mt. Everest #2 growing next to me. Alice walked to my closet and quickly skimmed through everything inside, "date night?"

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, feeling the red flush my cheeks. "Does my –"

"No, you're mother still doesn't know… but she will later" Alice informed me. "What's the plan?"

"What?" she caught me in thought. My "mom" was going to find out… and when she did, she was going to flip. What would I do? Whatever, I didn't care anymore.

"Tonight…" Alice continued, "Do you know the plan?" Why was Alice asking? She probably already knew. But the puzzle pieces then made more sense…

"You know," I stated, not asking. Alice loved that, knowing what other people didn't… it made her much harder to figure out. It was an edge added to her bubbly and likable personality.

A smile crept over her face, I was right. "Yes, now you go take a shower and I'll pick out the perfect outfit," she winked at me and pushed me out the bedroom before I could complain the slightest bit. Another thing she loved; control.

"What the-?" I gasped as I walked into my room, towel only. Where had all my clothes gone? "Alice!" I yelled as I ran inside and yanked my closet doors open. I sighed, thank god. How did she manage? I thought she'd actually gotten rid of all my clothes.

"What is it?" Alice appeared at my door with a worried expression.

"How did you manage to organize all of my stuff in ten minutes? This place was a dump! I thought –" I explained, confused.

Alice simply shrugged and gestured towards my bed, "Get ready, Prince Charming will be here in 30 minutes" she smiled and disappeared once again.

I shook my head in disbelief, 'Alice would never change', I laughed to myself. I closed my door and dropped my towel on the pristine clean flooring. I quickly got dressed, blow dried my hair, and swiped on some makeup before heading down.

Alice had picked out faded gray skinny jeans and a cute, strapless, red top. Along with a black, elbow length coat with big golden buttons and black heals. So I guess Sage wasn't taking me snowboarding… thank god.

I quickly got my bag and checked myself in the mirror, like I always did before leaving; it was a habit. But before I could even get close to the door, my "mother's" voice stopped me, "Where do you think you're going?" Urg. Why did she treat me like I was seven?

"Out," I answered blandly before turning back around and giving another attempt at opening the door. My second try failed as per usual.

"With who? And I don't even think I gave you permission." She continued, gosh, didn't she ever get tired of her own voice or her wretched and painful thoughts?

"Rose, relax. She's young, it's just a date, nothing serious; right, honey?" My father attempted to calm my mother down a little bit. I knew it wouldn't help but I appreciated his attempt at what none of us were ever good at; proving Rosalie Hale wrong.

"Are you siding with her? Don't you understand the risk she's at of exposure?" This was not good; my dad didn't deserve the blame. He had done nothing wrong… at least he understood my needs to be normal.

"This isn't about sides Rosalie. It's our about our daughter growing up…. and she's not in danger of exposing anything, she's only human." My dad continued, trying to talk some sense into her.

"She is sixteen! She's not of age to go out and do god knows what!" My mom made my date with Sage sound like prostitution. I wasn't doing anything wrong, Alice would have seen it and Edward would have heard… I didn't understand why my "mom" was being so irrational about a simple subject.

"Oh mom, just give it a REST! I'm going out for dinner not a strip club! Get over it!" I heard a car honk outside, "That's Sage, I'll see you later tonight."

As I turned the door knob my mom tried again, "You stay right where you are Luna! I forbid you to go out tonight!" How lame… did she think her extensive vocabulary made her statement impossible to deny?

"Well you just try to stop me then," I whispered loud enough for her to hear before walking out on her and her morbid expression.

* * *

**I really hope you guys enjoyed my third chapter with Luna... do you guys like her? Do you want more LPOV, BPOV, or RPOV? Please leave it in the comments... now don't forget to R&R and keep yourself updated on next chapters on my twitter account VenomIntoxicate (link in the info area)**

**PS: I'm still very sorry... can you forgive me please?**

**Love, Saskia xx**


	7. First Date

**HEY GUYS! I'm back... only 2 weeks later. So what do you think? Am I getting better at this?**

**So I have two questions for my lovely followers. (1) Last week I asked which POV you guys would like to read more about... and a lot of you said Rose via messaging, twitter, and PM's. So, would you like Chapter 8 or 9 to be Rosalie POV? Or continue a couple more chapters with Luna? (2) Would you rather have shorter chapters more often or longer chapters, like last week, between longer time periods?**

**Anyways, here you go... the moment you've all been waiting for. Sage & Luna's first date ;) ENJOY!**

* * *

LPOV

I watched my family's faces fade in the mist of the night. I was sitting next to Sage in his car and I hadn't said a word when he'd greeted me outside my house. I just needed to get out of the house and by the looks of it, he had captured my desperation in my facial expression.

Luckily the music drowned out the awkwardness between us. He didn't have anything to say and I didn't want to speak. It wasn't a good combination, but it had been Sage's idea to take me out… he would be the one to deal with my mood. I wasn't close to giving him a break, he'd gotten me into this but at the same time I thanked him for saving me from an ugly fight.

We drove to a small bar in town, it was quiet and private and empty. I appreciated him not taking me all the way to Port Angeles, I was in far too much trouble to get home late too.

"I thought somewhere small and quiet would be better… I hate crowded bars," Sage explained as we walked inside the diner. We sat in a big red booth at the far corner and soon enough, a waitress came to take our order.

She was fairly skinny, blonde with blue eyes, and very pretty. "Have you already chosen what you'd like to order?" she smiled. It was obvious she didn't get many customers since we'd just gotten here and clearly still hadn't gotten the time to even look through the menu.

But Sage begged to differ and answered, "Yes, two cheeseburgers, a salad to share and coke for both of us." The waitress nodded at every statement as she wrote it down on her notepad, then smiled kindly at us and skipped away. "She's oddly jumpy," Sage stated before leaning over the table and exhaling deeply.

I stared at him incredulously, "You just ordered for me," he hadn't even asked me what I wanted and yet there he was, sitting across the table, smiling like it was a normal thing to do.

"Yes," he agreed. "Your point?"

"My point is you didn't ask. What was that about?" I questioned.

"You see, Luna. This place has the most amazing burgers, I didn't bring you here for you to leave without trying them," he grinned.

"What if I was a vegetarian? What would you have done then?" I snapped back at him.

"Well, you're not. I saw you eating chicken curry at school on Tuesday. Is that assumption good enough to say you do eat meat?" he justified.

I changed subjects, "So you watch me eat?"

"I never said I watched you, I just said I _saw_ you" he corrected.

I didn't understand him, was it that bad to be wrong once? It's not like it was a competition, we were just talking. "What's the difference? Why do you have the uncontrollable need to be right constantly? The point is you looked… why?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I like it," Sage confessed.

Well, thank god for admitting something once in his life! "You like watching me?"

"No, I like being right" Sage laughed. "Did you really think I enjoy watching you? You're a pain to see… have you even _tried_ talking to people?"

I haven't actually; literally… I only talked to my family, and they were all out of the 'normal' range. But this I couldn't tell him. "I'm not much of a people person and by the way, you're a pain to be around," I sighed.

"Ow, that hurt" he said sarcastically with a hand over his chest.

"Why did you 'ask' me to come out here with you tonight?" I asked him, serious now.

"I was just trying to be nice, like I said… you seemed like you needed some time around _people_," Nobody was nice like that, just because; I'd learnt that the hard way.

"You're lying, be honest… why?" I pushed.

Sage sighed, "I thought it'd be nice to get to know you better. You're not like everybody else… you're different and proud."

"I'm not always so sure," I admitted.

"You were right, by the way, Luna" he continued.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, Sage changed subjects far too quickly.

"The other day when I asked you out… you were right." Sage smiled, "Different _is _good; there's too much of the same in this world."

Our stare was interrupted by the nice waitress who cleared her throat, making me realize just how close we'd leaned into each other over the table; how embarrassing.

"Here you go … your food will be here in a minute" she said as she placed both cokes in between us. The waitress gave us another kind smile and then backed away towards the kitchen.

I took a sip from the thin, pink straw in my coke and noticed Sage staring, "What?" I asked, curiosity striking me.

"Nothing; I just wonder one thing Luna Cullen," Sage cocked his head as if amused by my appearance. "Why do you despise me so much?" Had he really just asked that question? Had he really already forgotten what a jerk he'd been? Was he just trying to say something to avoid silence? I raised my eyebrows and straightened up in my seat, hoping he would get the hint.

"Ok! Ok!" Sage put his hands up in his own defense, "I was just testing!" We were interrupted again by the kind waitress that was now juggling three dishes in her hands. She set the plates in a row from Sage to me, the salad in the centre.

I looked at the burger suspiciously, "Are you serious? Do you think that I paid the cook to poison your meal?" Sage exclaimed.

"Well, you never know; especially since nobody mentioned anything about poisoning the burger," I chuckled and took a bite; Sage stared at me, waiting for me to say something. "Fine, I admit these are pretty good."

"PRETTY GOOD? They're delicious! Just admit it, I was right and _you_ were wrong," he smiled.

"Ok, so they are better than I expected. Happy?" I sighed, "So why is this place barely empty then?" I asked curiously.

Sage leaned over the table and whispered, "Can you keep a secret?"

He caught me off guard; _a secret_? "Sure," I breathed.

"Last year a group of guys," Sage inhaled, speaking with difficulty, "threw the place apart. They came in with guns and masks; wrecked the place, stole all the cash, and killed a man." I stared at him, mouth agape. "Yeah, the place hasn't really had much success since. It's a small town and people talk, a lot. Then rumors began that the owner himself and his three sons were the ones that stole the money to avoid paying taxes. His wife had just been diagnosed with cancer and they aren't the wealthiest family." Sage shrugged.

"That's awful. I mean, it doesn't make any sense. Why would you make up stories like that?" I exclaimed, "You don't believe it, do you?"

"No, it's nonsense. People just need some sort of entertainment. I don't blame them though, stuck in this godforsaken town their entire lives," Sage said. He appeared to understand the feeling.

"Were you there?" Sage's brows furrowed, "Were you there the night it happened?" I asked.

Sage looked away, "Yeah, I used to be good friends with the owner; worked here for a while too."

"What happened?" I asked curiously.

"People change," he looked pained and I suddenly realized, feeling completely ashamed for having asked, that he had witnessed murder that night.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed it so far," and I let silence engulf the rest of our twilight.

. _ .

"I had a great time, thank you." I smiled up at Sage as he walked me to the front door.

"It was nothing, really." He leaned down and let his lips brush mine for the shortest second. I was in shock; embarrassed, Sage cleared his throat and quietly said, "I'll see you at school," before awkwardly walking to his car and driving away into the darkness.

Strangely enough, I found myself smiling for the first time in what seemed like forever.

* * *

**So? What do you think? Is Sage feeling _REGRETFUL _about giving Luna a cute, little, good night peck? **

**TELL ME! TELL ME! TELL ME! **

**So, as you know, don't forget to R&R!**

**And for updates, info or sneak peeks on the next chapter... go follow me on twitter /VenomIntoxicate**

**Love you! Saskia xx**


	8. Lucky Victim

**Hey my lovely readers! Ok, so after answering many of your questions on twitter and reading all your requests… I was intrigued by one that appeared to have a lot of success. So Emmett POV it is! I wanted to get this first Em chapter done for you guys as soon as possible… but I wasn't quite sure how to do it. After a couple of days of speculation I came to a conclusion on how to make this work. **

**Here it is! ENJOY! ;)**

**

* * *

**

Emmett POV

I watched through the curtains covering the windows next to the front door, intrigued, as the boy walked away from my astounded daughter. He stumbled on the last step, a usual human action when nervous, I had noticed. Luna reached to her lips and lightly traced them with her fingers. It was obvious neither of them had planned for the night to end like this, and my daughter seemed too confused to make her lips move for a proper response to his goodbye.

Luna didn't seem to be able to take a couple of steps into the house either, so I leaned closer towards the entrance and turned the doorknob; waiting patiently on its sill, smiling. She stared at me, a questioning look on her face, she knew I had seen her and was waiting for me to confirm. I nodded and opened my arms to embrace her; she took a step forward and attempted to wrap herself around my larger torso, leaning her head on my chest. "My little girl is growing up," I whispered into her hair and began to guide her back inside.

I noticed Rose glaring at me from the corner of my eye, she was very angry. Especially at me, I could see, since I was "supporting", as Rose put it, Luna's reckless decisions. I didn't see why going out and having fun like other teenagers her age was such a crime. She wasn't part of this mess, not yet, anyway. I felt guilty every day for going through with this. Our Luna could have had a perfectly normal life if not for our selfishness. We'd decided to let her choose when to change, and as we had unfortunately predicted, she chose like her aunt once had. Eighteen was the age, and she refused to ever look older than any of us.

Though as I walked Luna upstairs to her room, I had a feeling that she would change her mind; something good, for she had just begun to live. However, I didn't blame her for wanting to make the change early. I couldn't imagine how frustrating it must be for her to have us as a family. How strange it must be to have a father that merely looked three years older than you. How terrible it would feel to have a mother that encouraged you to stay human but eventually forced you to change; and you'd agree just for the sake of not having to lose yourself and the few you love.

We reached the top step and I let go of my tight grasp around her. Silently, we paced into her bedroom. The cream colored walls were barely visible anymore, in their place was a carefully created collage that had been formed throughout my daughters' years. She had dragged it with her everywhere we moved; pictures of the views and towns we had lived in, images of her childhood, times we'd all spent together as a family, prizes, school awards, Christmas and birthday cards, ripped shreds of wrapping paper, and everything someone could possibly savor if ones life.

"Memories are too important," Luna murmured as she noticed me admiring her art piece. She was sitting at the foot of her large bed; red, black and intricately designed by Alice. She pushed off her shoes and stared at the beautiful photomontage. Next to it lay her first and only guitar she had ever owned and accepted to play; a musician like her mother since the age of seven. Her organized desk was placed right in front of the glass wall to the left, acknowledging the wet and green forest. Her laptop was still open on a word document for what I assumed was her next English project and her pens neatly stood inside a holder, patiently waiting to be used on the notebook lying next to her computer.

I sat on the edge of the mattress next to Luna, unnecessarily exhaling. "How are you?" I asked, I hadn't spoken to her the very least since we moved back to Forks. The fighting between Rose and her was only getting worse, and I couldn't help but blame myself for not doing anything about it.

"What do you mean?" Luna looked away, obviously knowing what I was really asking. She felt me looking down at her and sighed, "I'm fine, really." She attempted to convince me, but didn't succeed. She glanced up and met my worried eyes, "really," she repeated, this time barely a whisper. Luna's eyes gleamed with tears; it broke me apart to have my own daughter not trust me with the truth.

"Just know that I'll always be here for you, Luna. Whatever it is you need; as for someone to talk to or someone to listen, I'll be here." I spoke with assurance, "I'll talk to your mother about everything; about tonight and about the disagreement. But don't let this bring you down Luna," I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I love you," I kissed her cheek and walked to the door. Before leaving, I turned around and whispered, "Good night, Luna."

* * *

"She's sixteen, Rose! She's old and mature enough to make her own decisions; the right decisions. You have to let her be, let her have fun and hang out with people her own age, at least for the little time she's got left." I insisted. We had been at this discussion all night, and now as the sun rose higher over the horizon, our voices seemed to reach their peeks as well.

"But not decisions like this Emmett! This is too big for her, for any of us! It's a secret of too much depth; it's too grand for a girl of her age, or for any girl for that matter! I'm not saying our daughter isn't responsible enough to keep this secret—" Rosalie screeched but was interrupted by a voice we all very much recognized.

"Then what are you saying, mom?" Luna was standing at the tail of the staircase, keys in hand, backpack swung over her left shoulder. I felt Edward tense beside me, envying his ability to rummage through everyone's mind without consent, once again.

"Luna," I murmured, offering a hand; we hadn't meant for her to hear any of this. But she closed her eyes, holding off the tears, and walked through the door; leaving us all in regret like she had already, so many times before.

"This is your fault, Emmett. If you hadn't sided with her like you did last night, it wouldn't be as much of a disappointment when she realized the truth!" Rosalie yelled.

"My fault, Rose? Our daughter is disappointed because all that ever happens in this house are arguments! Don't you see?" I sighed, giving up. I was sickened by this, and for once I chose to run away from my problems instead of facing them. Because one thing was certain, I was tired of fighting.

* * *

Luna had taken my car like I had told her to a couple of nights before. I'd advised her to drive around with it so that I could take hers to the garage for a proper paint repair. Now that the only thing I wanted to do was get away from Rosalie and the fighting, I knew I'd have the perfect opportunity to take the car away; as an excuse for myself. It would probably take all day to fix everything, and even though I could run back home, that would be the last of my intentions.

I drove around aimlessly for a couple of hours and then pulled up at the towns' main garage, not wanting to go for help at the dogs place. He'd probably make some nasty joke about vampire driving; and even though we were all meant to 'get along' now that Nessie and Jacob were married, our despise towards each other would never fully fade.

"Emmett! How ya doin? Come for anotha checkup? Don't ya think it's a bit too early? Ya came two weeks ago! I'm sure ya'll are fine!" called Bill, the outcast and mechanic in Forks. It was really quite terrible how people treated him, just for being from outside and having a southern accent; people had become so prejudiced over the past hundred years.

"Nah Bill, my sister was in a small accident the other day. It needs an urgent paint job, I'd say. You free today, I mean I know it's Saturday." I smiled, closing the car door behind me and walking up closer to shake his hand.

"No worries, I'm all free. I need some distraction anyway." He chuckled, patting my back and then walked passed me to inspect the damage. Bill was chewing on a piece of gum, muffling his words a bit more as he looked back and forth over the front of the vehicle, "So your sister; she okay?"

"Yeah, Luna's fine. Just got a small cut on her forehead… needed stitches, but I think the car needs more help." I laughed, trying to sound more brotherly than like a father. It was hard sometimes, covering how much I really cared for Luna and remembering to sound more like a sibling.

"Ha! Indeed, sir. So, Imma need a couple of hours… I expect to be done at around six. You gonna take the bus back home?" he concluded, wiping his black stained hands on a towel in his pocket.

"Yeah, I'll take the bus home to the last stop and then walk from there. I've got some homework to finish up, and then I'll come back," I smiled. He was such a kind man; it was a shame that no one in this town appreciated the merit.

"Okay kiddo, I'll see you then. And give your father my kindest regards, nice man he is. Good luck with the homework," Bill winked and stepped inside the car, starting it and driving inside the garage. "See ya kid!" he waved and disappeared into the depths of his shack.

I looked around to check for any passing watchers; nobody. I took a step back and then zoomed into the forest nearby, getting ready for the hype of a hefty hunt. I took everything greedily, all animals I passed by, any one of them that got in my way. Anger and an animalistic drive took over me. I barely felt like myself as I took in all my surroundings. I'd twitch at every sound and attack at all scents. Blood stained the trees and ground in the forest and I could feel every nerve in my body hit each muscle. Beast, no longer human; and only one reasonable thought lingered in my mind: "stay away from all human civilization."

I was just about to feast on a close stag when a smell reached me strongly, throwing me back. The smoke hit me as if it had an arm to punch with of its own. _**Fire**_. It was so close; and in a mere second, something inside me snapped and I completely forgot about the lucky stag that had miraculously been saved by a simple coincidence. I was running toward the smoke and before long I could see it; deep wild fire cracking the wood, snapping all that came close enough, killing any last piece of dignity left in each object… each memory. It soared beautifully; with a grace and elegance that was both terrifying to watch and amazing to see… I was reminded of myself and how our species was so dangerous and petrifying. She had no mercy, she didn't care, she engulfed it all and left nothing behind… but the fiery red wasn't the only being nearby.

Three young men were there; they were the cause. I could smell the stain of gasoline on their hands… they were pushing each other playfully, laughing, while walking away from the scene. A high pitched scream rang into my ears, breaking me from my anger. There was someone inside… how the _hell_ had I not noticed before?

I dashed into the building, all my senses switching to a stronger mode. There was blood in the building, a blood that reached me so well. I could nearly feel the taste of it in my mouth as the venom pooled inside me. But there was only one heartbeat now, male… but the scream had surely been a woman. I heard a dry, hysterical cough; it was almost too late. I knew the owner of the screech was dead and it was too late, but if I had the chance I'd save whoever was left, I would. I uncomfortably moved around the crumbling house, afraid of the fire myself, and approached the victim from behind.

He was lying on the floor, crawling on his hands and knees almost unconsciously; he had no chance of survival if I hadn't been here. I picked him up carefully, his body now limp, and swallowed the venom… avoiding the temptation that still, hundreds of years after my state, lingered.

I ran outside and hurriedly placed the boy on the floor, looking around and hoping nobody had seen me. I sighed in thank of my luck and then took one last look at the unconscious body that lay at my feet. I was just about to run back into the forest before the fire department showed up to clear the flames, when I recognized who I had saved. I gasped in realization that the boy who was given a second chance to live wasn't just** _a _**boy… but Sage, the boy who'd kissed my daughter just a couple hours earlier.

* * *

**PUN, PUN, PUN! What will happen? Will Sage live? Will Sage die? Will Emmett tell Luna what happened? Who's the woman inside the building? Who started the fire? And why did they? **

**Tell me what you think! What are you predictions and what do you hope WON'T happen? R&R! I'm thinking on giving a short preview of the next chapter to all who comment (starting chapter 9)… what do you think?**

**Go follow me on Twitter /VenomIntoxicate and check out my lovely Bestie's FF here on /VampInMyBlood ! (BTW) Happy 14****th**** birthday, love! Hope you have a great one :) xxx**

**Thank you all so much for the support and I hope you're just as excited to read the next chapter as I am to see your comments!**

**Love, Saskia xx**


	9. Meanwhile

**Hey again! Sorry this chapter took slightly longer to be up than the others... but it was something different. I didn't want the same old fighting, but I can't cancel it out of nowhere either. This is also my last summer week, so please understand that I've been spending as much time as possible with friends and family since I won't see them all again until Christmas.**

**Ok, so this chapter is the "Meanwhile" (as the title states) version of what happens with Luna, while Emmett was out in Chapter 8... so here it is! As always, ENJOY! ;)**

**

* * *

**

Luna POV

I was so tired of this. I was tired of the constant repetition of my life, like someone kept relaying the same scene where we were drawn-on characters of a story people watched when **extremely **bored. It was always the same thing; someone fought, I ran away, then I'd get back, we'd fight, then I'd run away, etc, etc, etc. And I would love to stay and fight for something I believed in instead of hiding from my fears, but it felt so useless… because what change would it make anyway?

I had nowhere to go, nobody to see, and nothing to do; like it should have always been. I was an unwanted child from the moment my mother found out of my existence… little did she know what she had just condemned me to.

I headed towards the coast, the only peaceful place that I could come up with;I thought about the sand tickling my toes, the wind caressing my cheeks, and the quiet harmony of the waves dancing into my ears. I pulled up at the far, left, corner of the street; few people came here anyway. I took off my converse and stepped into the sand, sinking into it a couple of inches. I took slow steps towards the water and let the wind blow my hair in all directions; not caring.

The water felt cold and untouched as it reached the tip of my toes. I sighed in relief, I was now alone and nobody would bother me here in my invisible bubble of quiet. Birds flapped their wings, soaring over the tangerine morning horizon. As time slowly floated past, the sky deepened into darker shades of blue. Like two lovers removing their innermost layers of clothing, revealing their inside emotions with every tender gesture.

In ignorance, I chose to remove my warm coverage as well; leaving me revealed to my empty surroundings in nothing but my underwear. I stepped into the ice cold water knowingly and gasped as in scratched my skin. I took a deep breath and walked farther in, shuddering as the distinctly calm morning waves hit my flesh menacingly.

As the water finally reached above my shoulders, while sitting, I sighed contently. I slowly leaned back and let myself float, exhaling and moving my hands up and down in a snow-angel motion. Nobody could break my peace right now, nothing could tear me away from my unrealistic thoughts, and I didn't mind lying to myself. I knew it was wrong of my to trick myself into believing something that would obviously be gone soon enough -too soon- but I couldn't help myself.

I couldn't help but believe that all of this would magically be solved… It was surreal belief –I knew- but then again, nothing in my life fell under the category of "real" to be honest. But just as I had expected, an unwanted happening burst my bubble just as fast as I had blown it.

"What do you plan drying yourself with?" called my cousin, Nessie. She was standing near the edge of the water in a long, flowy, white dress. Her big brown curls hung loosely over her perfect shoulders and her golden eyes shone radiantly, though the lack of sunlight. Nessie was holding a navy blue cloth which she set down on the sand when she noticed me sink an inch deeper into the icy liquid, in embarrassment. I felt my cheeks flush with heat though the rest of my body was covered in goose bumps. She flashed her white teeth at me, chuckled, and then started heading back to her and Jacobs' small cottage at the end of the lengthy beach.

Before going too far she called out, smiling, "I want my towel back!"

**VV**

The cottage was petit and white; it was very old as I recalled being told that it had been built about 100 years ago by Nessie and Jacob themselves. Considering this was their home, they spent a lot of their time hidden out here but always ended chasing behind the rest of us since they faced the same problem; neither of them aged. Nessie, for she was a fully grown vampire now and Jacob because he stayed in the same state of phasing due to my cousins presence.

The paint, nevertheless, lasted long considering its time being and the white had just recently begun to peel off at some of the edges. There were two small night lights at each side of the entrance where a small terrace was placed with two comfy-looking seats and wild flowers growing on its wooden railing.

It was humble, and I could now see why they liked staying so far out from the town; the silence. It was just the two of them out here since after leaving, the pack had slowly stopped phasing and eventually died down.

I ascended the three squeaky steps and walked inside, the door had been left open. I could smell fresh bread baking and could hear quiet sizzling that came from a pan on the stove. "You came," Nessie walked into the open living area that was only separated from the kitchen by a small bar where three wooden stools were set; much like what we had home. She was holding what looked like a clean laundry basket; she placed it down on an armchair, flattened down her dress with both hands, and walked over to the stove. "I'm making breakfast, for Jacob of course, but I don't think he'd mind you joining in," Nessie smiled. "You can go clean up if you like; this'll probably be ready in about ten minutes. The bathroom is down the hall, first door on your left." My cousin got back to cooking, checking the bread in the oven and taking out a few other things from the fridge.

As I walked into the bathroom and took off what was left of my clothing, I wondered where Jacob would have been. I wasn't sure of the time, but it mustn't have been too late in the morning; or could it have been? I gave it no mind as I stepped under the incredibly pleasant warm water, a complete contrast to what I'd been in minutes before. Though the shower was surely 15°C warmer, the beach water had burnt at my skin while this one trickled down my spine making me moan in delight.

**VV**

I patted my clammy body from the evaporated droplets floating in the room with the dry towel Nessie had set down for me on the toilet. Under it lay a pair of jeans and a simple brown tank, also a white underwear matching set. I quickly pulled everything on before my body would stick to the clothes because of the humid atmosphere, opened the window to clear the air, and walked back down the hall; running the towel through my hair a couple more times.

As I walked down the narrow passageway I admired the many picture frames that hung symmetrically on its cream colored walls. There were pictures of my family; especially my grandparents and Nessie's parents, there were also ones with men I assumed used to be the wolf pack and from Nessie and Jacob's wedding. But one man stood out in particular to me, he was in nearly all of them. He sat in a wheelchair and always wore the same cowboy hat over his black shoulder-length hair.

Jacob was now in view, he and Nessie were on the inner side of the kitchen counter, faces deep with expression. They were talking quietly about something that seemed very serious, but stopped when they heard me walk in. "Luna," Jacob smiled, "long time no see." He walked up to me and gave me a quick hug; this was... weird.

I smiled kindly as he gestured for us to sit at the round table in the centre of the room. I handed Nessie the towel who quickly hung it outside and flashed back in seconds. Food was piled atop the wooden table, nothing like I'd ever seen, if Nessie expected us to finish this between two people, Jacob would be eating more than half of what I saw. There were fried eggs, omelets, bacon, ham, toast, the fresh loaf of bread, jam, peanut butter, cereal, and pretty much anything you could think of eating during the morning.

"I know it's already late for breakfast, but Jacob took longer than I had expected to get back." Nessie said, laying a hand on her husband's shoulder who was already eating. Damn, how hungry was he? I could have sworn less than a minute ago there was twice the food.

It wasn't Jacob's actions that distracted me,though, but Nessie's comment that really struck my attention. "Late? What time is it?" I asked in shock.

"Almost 2:30pm. You were at the beach for a long time; I wouldn't be surprised if you woke up sick tomorrow morning." Nessie said, raising an eyebrow as if amused that I hadn't noticed my time being in 'their territory'. Nessie was the only vampire ever allowed on these lands since Jacob had once imprinted on her, Bella was also permitted once in a while and since I still wasn't like the rest of my family and was no danger whatsoever to society, I was allowed over the borderline too.

"Oh, I just hadn't realized how much time had passed. I best be getting home then, my parents are probably really worried." It wasn't all that true, I didn't exactly want to be going home now, but my cousins' stares were getting awfully uncomfortable and their silent conversations between meaningful looks made me seem like an obstacle in the way of things they needed to get done with.

"Luna, I called your mother. She knows you're here and we both know that your reason for leaving isn't because you feel like your parents are worried. So stay here for breakfast, what difference does it make? You're welcome to leave after you're done, though." Luna sat at the table between Jacob and me, scrunching her nose in disgust at what she'd just finished cooking.

I smiled but then looked down guiltily. I began to serve what little food Jacob hadn't shoved down his throat already.

**VV**

"One question though," I started while halfway through my servings, "who's the man in the wheelchair? The one that's in nearly all the photographs…"

"That was my father," Jacob answered, he had finished everything else on the table that hadn't been on my plate and was now sitting still, observing how I ate; something I was strangely used to.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?" I asked cautiously, afraid to bring up any bad moments in his past and having to deal with the fault of his pain.

"Car accident," Jacob answered simply. "It never stopped my father, though."

"I'm sorry." I looked down and continued eating, trying to avoid the subject from continuing; I already felt terrible, this would just make things worse.

"Oh, don't be." Jacob smiled. "Anyway, I think it's your parents you should be apologizing to. You should give them a break, Luna. I'm not one that has ever gotten along with _their species, _especially your mother, but I know how long she's wanted you. Whatever she does is because she really cares and worries for your safety."

I continued eating, avoiding their eyes, as Nessie continued for Jacob. "We're not telling you what to do. I mean, who are we other than your cousins? But just think about it, ok?" I took one last bite out of my breakfast and then felt courageous enough to glance up quickly before hiding my face again behind my hair. "Go home, Luna. I'm sure your parents will be glad to _see_ that you're safe." She smiled and patted the back of my hand as I stood up from the table.

"Thank you for your hospitality," I hugged them both, "and the breakfast."

"If Jacob here hadn't eaten it all…" Nessie patted Jacob's back forcefully, speaking through her gritted, smiling teeth. I chuckled and then the three of us burst out laughing. That was the first time I'd felt myself smile for real in what felt like far too long. After a few minutes we quieted down and I backed out to my car with my now clean clothes in hand. I put them in the back seat, waved at Jacob and Nessie who were still standing at the entrance, and drove away from the beach; still smiling.

**VV**

I was heading back home when I heard many ambulances coming closer from behind me. I moved to the right, giving them space to pass, but then followed behind them; curiosity striking me. Various red and blue lights shook frantically in all directions and a huge cloud of smoke floated above all the vehicles.

I stepped out of my car and approached the blackened building. There were shriveled pieces of wood shed across the floor and the building now looked like a giant, deformed piece of charcoal. The firefighters were shooting immense quantities of water at the few leftover flames and people slowly crowded around the destroyed home. Many gasped as two paramedics brought out an extended stretcher with a silvery sheet covering an obvious body. They placed it gently inside one of the two open ambulances, closed the doors and signaled for the driver to leave by tapping the back window.

But my eyes were torn away from the leaving van, for I saw what the second stretcher carried. This body wasn't covered; it held a young man, his face black and his clothes stained in blood.

"Sage," I gasped.

* * *

**Oh dear! Ok, so you all knew it was Sage because of Emmett... but still, what are you thinking? What do expect Luna to do? What do you WANT her to do? Leave it in the comments section!**

**I'm leaving tomorrow back to Sweden... but that means a 5 hour flight and one hell of a lot of writing. I don't expect myself to finish chapter 10, but I also don't expect it to be too long. So you never know!**

**For updates on "Dreadful Decisions" follow me on twitter /VenomIntoxicate**

**Ask me questions on /VenomIntoxicate**

**And show me your love by commenting! Oh PRETTY please! I'm always so happy when I get your feedback!**

**Saskia xx**


	10. Waiting

**HEY GUYS! How are you all doing? Excited for this next chapter? I sure know I am! I'm so excited with all your reviews... I've been getting quite a few lately through twitter! But I'd like to see more of you guys submitting your thoughts here! I think you can review without an account too... so please take the time. I love the feedback. I think it really helps me write more to your likes. :D don't you?**

**Anyway, for those who HAVE reviewed (since ch9) got a preview of this chapter. So from now on it's official... if you review, you get a sneak peek as a thanks for reading and giving me your thoughts :)**

**Now I shall SHUT UP and let you read! **

* * *

LPOV

"Wait!" I called out while ducking under the yellow tape that now fenced Sage's home. I hadn't given it a second thought; the minute I recognized his pained face, I ran after the stretcher that carried the only person that had attempted to get to know me. No matter how arrogant or unbelievable Sage was, he was the only person who had ever _**tried**_. A hand caught my arm before I made it too far, "Miss, you aren't allowed to cross the markings. This is a crime scene… you have no business here," the muscular officer that prevented me from moving forward informed me sternly.

It was a clear fact that few things like this happened in such a small town; I could read the seriousness on the officer's face. "I'm a friend," I replied quickly, hoping he'd let me advance before the ambulance that Sage was being set into, took off. I pleaded at him with my eyes, but I could notice that I wasn't close to convincing him.

"I'm sorry, miss. But in a town like this, everyone is 'friends' with everyone. So go now, stand back, under the border where everyone else is allowed." He pushed me at the small of my back, back to where I'd come from. I sighed and watched as the last ambulance drove off, the sound of its sirens fading slowly into the distance.

I ducked under the tape once again and excused my way through the dozens of people who slowly crowded around the darkened scene as if it were a circus that only came along once a year. I quickly walked back to my car and started the engine, making a U-turn without one last glance. I sped off into the distance, running away from the smoke that seemed to chase behind me. I could feel tears forming in my eyes; I couldn't erase the image forming in my mind of the limp body that had lain under that thin sheet of aluminum.

It could have been –and most likely was- one of Sage's parents. After all of this, the last thing someone could ask for was the loss of a relative; it's nasty blow like a straight punch to the stomach. It made me think about my mother, and for once I took back everything I'd said to her. She _**was**_my mother, even if not by blood. She wanted me when someone else hadn't; I suddenly felt a great urge to run up to her and hug her and tell her how truly sorry I really felt.

**VV**

The local hospitals' parking lot wasn't any better than where the fire had recently died down. It was more crowded than it probably had been in the past century; the sound of the sirens deafened your sense of sound while their lights blinded you. Police officers guarded all doors, people crowded into the hospital for information on the happening, forensics brought in the covered body, and paramedics were moving in Sage while nurses and doctors attended the smaller emergencies.

I trotted towards the building wanting to know if Sage was going to be ok. I _**needed**_ to know if I was going to lose the one person I had befriended; even if it was considered in the smallest of ways. But as surgeons sped in all directions, my hurrying seemed useless, like the movie scene I was in was being played in slow motion.

Everyone around me was frantic and there seemed to be nobody for me to talk to. It felt like I was consistently walking in circles, down the same corridors with identical white walls and marble flooring. Thankfully, after what felt more like hours, I recognized a face in the chaos of it all. "Gran— Carlisle!" I called, correcting myself before making a BIG mistake in front of half the town. I didn't really expect anybody to notice, but the #1 rule in my family was to be crucially cautious about everything we said in public.

I ran, wrapping myself around him and sighing in relief. He'd know where Sage would be. He'd have the answers. "Oh, you don't know how happy I am to see you." I breathed in his sweet scent, something each member of my family seemed to own, like an aura that would float behind them wherever they'd go. "I went to Nessie's and stayed there all morning, swam in the water, ate breakfast, and then decided to go back home after a long talk with Jacob and her." I inhaled deeply, feeling the shake in my voice and the lump in my throat forming again, "I saw the smoke, and S-Sage." I looked down as the tears spilled over. "They didn't let me go to him, they wouldn't tell me if he was ok, or who the body under the silvery sheet was. I don't want to lose my family nor the only friend I've made here. I didn't know where to go to, I-" I stammered on my words as I let out everything I'd been holding in again.

Carlisle interrupted me before I could continue, pulling me in for another hug, "Shh… it's ok. I understand, Luna." He soothed, caressing the back of my hair. My grandfather held me at my shoulders, his loving stare sinking into my eyes, "Let's go find Sage."

**VV**

I had eventually fallen asleep, my head leaning at the bedside where Sage lay, still unconscious. The rhythmic ticking of the clock that hung above the entrance and Sage's heartbeat combined dragged the day forward as the sky outside the window lowered beneath its sill.

I wondered what I'd do and how Sage would react when he would wake up and find me here. Worse though, was the image that kept forming in my mind, when the doctors would inform Sage of the incident. His mother was dead and there was nothing he could do to go back in time and change it. Every time the thought crept into my head, I'd feel my heart sink two inches deeper.

Luckily, Sage's father had left early that morning for work and hadn't been present during the fire. But as I had previously learnt from my grandfather, there had been no such luck with Sage's mom… and if Sage hadn't made it out by some miracle, he would be gone by now.

Sage's ragged breath hitched and he moaned in pain, this shook me from my drowsiness, "Sage?" I whispered, sitting up in my seat. "Sage? Can you hear me? Nod if you're awake," I continued, desperately worried about his well being. It was selfish, I knew, but I couldn't let go of something that was so new to my life.

I sighed when Sage did as I asked of him, blinking a couple of times before observing the room he lay in. "Luna?" he rasped after a few quiet moments. "What happened? What am I doing here?" he reached up and traced his fingers over the tube that was taped across his face.

"There was a fire, Sage. Don't you remember? A fire started in your home this morning, but you got out. You saved your life!" I explained, curious to know if Sage could remember anything at all and terrified to be asked about his mother. "You do remember, right?" I whispered.

Sage sat up, flinching at the sting of his burn marks. "I do… kind of. I mean, I remember waking up because of the smoke. I was coughing and could barely breathe or see, the smoke was so thick, it burnt at my lungs every time I gasped for air. I remember rushing out of my room and looking for my mother, then tripping over something and falling flat on the ground," Sage trailed off, his eyes looking but not seeing, like he could stare at the wall behind straight through me. He blinked and this time concentrated on my face, "I don't understand, I gave up," Sage whispered. "I don't remember getting out."

His eyes were gleaming, reliving the vivid memory that seemed printed to his skull, horrified to remember but impossible to forget. "You were barely alive when the paramedics found you, Sage. I don't know how you did it, but you did, and you're here now. You're safe." I comforted.

"What about my mother? Is she ok?" Sage sat up from the bed, his eyes gleaming with hope as my heart sank a little farther once again. He seemed ready to bolt out the door once I told him where his mother could have been. It hurt so much I could barely breathe, my stomach tying itself into a million knots as I inhaled, "I'm so sorry, Sage. But they didn't get to her in time," I spoke, barely a whisper, as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"What are you talking about? My mother is fine; she's in the room next door, I know it." Sage shook his head, speaking in denial. When I leaned closer to reassure him, Sage backed away. I understood his pain, but I couldn't help but feeling hurt by his action.

"Sage," I attempted a second time. "She's not here. I know it hurts, I understand. But it's not going to help if you deny the truth. It doesn't change anything."

I saw how he continued to stare off into the distance, shaking his head. I couldn't put myself in the situation. I had never met his mother, nor was I that of a close friend of Sage's. But in the whole day I'd been here, only Sage's father had showed up. He had stayed and talked to me for a couple of hours, but the thought of Sage never waking up really bothered him. Eventually he'd left to go sign some papers for his wife and then went home without another word. Head bowed down, acknowledging his footsteps.

"Sage…. I know-" I tried again but was interrupted by his shouts.

Sage stood up from bed, ignoring the various tubes and cables that were attached to him. His heartbeat played on the monitor speeding up incredibly, "No! You don't _**know anything!**_ You haven't lost your own mother! You don't know how this feels, so stop talking like you know everything. You _**don't!**_"

Every yell made me jerk, taking a step backwards in the process. Each shriek stinging at me, like all my efforts in reassuring him had gone unnoticed. This time, however, I refused to back away any further. "I'm adopted. You know that right?" Realization flushed through Sage, all expressions changing, his face contorting into a new persona. I heard him start to apologize, but interrupted him instead of letting him continue, "My mother didn't die Sage, so there's no need to apologize. She didn't want me. At least you know that even if your mother is gone, and everything might look at its dimmest for you, that she's at peace and that she loved you. She _**loved **_you." I repeated.

Sage sunk back into the mattress, unblinking. I sat down next to him, cautious for at this point I knew he was most vulnerable. Sage tightened his eyes, keeping back the tears, but couldn't prevent one silent sob escape his lips as a silvery tear traced down his cheekbone. "It's my fault." Sage spoke, "This is all my fault; you'll never understand. I killed her. I _**killed **_her."

I put one arm around Sage, letting him lean on my chest, "Shh, it's ok. This has nothing to do with you, Sage." I whispered as he continued to silently cry; but I couldn't help wondering why Sage believed he was the cause of the fire that ended his mother's life.

* * *

**AWW! What do you think of this swap? I know (through a lot of reading) that the guy is always the one who is there for the girl... but I thought it would be an interesting switch if it were the _guy_ who_'_d needed the girls' support. What do you think? Leave it in your comments! **

**Another thing, I START SCHOOL TOMORROW! yay -.- Anyway, I'm telling you this because my free time is slowly coming to an end. So you won't be getting chapters so quickly. I'm really sorry. But I PROMISE to work really hard to get enough spare time for this fic. I'm not giving up on it, don't worry. But it might take up to a month (in really bad situations) for me to upload chapters once the school gets deeper into exams, projects, and things like that.**

**Please don't kill me.**

**I love you guys so much! Thank you A MILLION times for the support! **

**Saskia xx**


	11. Raindrops

**I KNOW! I KNOW! I'm a terrible person! I know you all probably wish I'd crawl in a hole and never come out again... but I'm sorry. I'm so terribly sorry this took so long! I knew I said 1 month maximum and it's been nearly two! So bite me if necessary!**

**So here is Chapter 11... another Luna POV. It's short and I admit I envisioned it to be much much longer... but it felt right to end it where it ends. Like I said before, I was going to drag it out longer, but apart from it feeling right, I was pissed at myself for making you all wait so long. So it's not one of the longest, but it's important for the development of our characters.**

**It's 1AM but I know I'll be spending all of tomorrow (Sunday - yes, I know... I have no life) doing homework, so I promised myself I wouldn't give up. Surprisingly, I'm really happy with the outcome of this chapter... and I really hope you will be satisfied too!**

**Now please ENJOY! **

_**

* * *

Chapter 11**_

"Ms?" I heard somebody call; the voice was muted and distant. It sounded like they were speaking to me through water, each quiver of sound turning into mere bubbles. "Ms?" I blinked, the fuzzy image of the hospital bedroom turning more visible as I sat up on the hard and uncomfortable bed. "?" I nodded and rubbed my right eye with a clenched fist. "I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over. Only family members are allowed to stay overnight; you are welcome to come again in the morning, though," a young nurse smiled. She was tall and skinny, blonde with a gentle smile. I suppose she was interning here, she looked like someone who could have graduated less than a year ago.

"Oh, yeah… of course," realization slowly came at me, how long had I been here? I checked the clock over the door, it read 11:35. No wonder my back ached so badly… I'd fallen asleep in the most uncomfortable position on the hardest god damn bed on the face of the planet. I stood up, carefully laying a sleeping Sage on the mattress. I pulled the vomit colored bed sheets over his resting body and caressed a fallen strand of hair that had fallen over his closed eyes away.

I walked across the room, leaned over the maroon sofa, and grabbed my bag and coat. I started to walk towards the door but before stepping over the frame, I looked back at the boy that convinced me to care without asking for it. _Sage, what are you hiding?_

The nurse was fixing up some tubes, attaching new bags to them. I didn't want to leave. "What time do hours start again?" I asked, courteously keeping my voice down for other patients in the rooms next door.

"Eight," the nurse smiled and continued adding and removing a complexity of wires, I didn't understand how she could see the difference between them.

"Will you tell him I'll come back after lunch?" The nurse looked up again, "I have to run some errands, but tell him I'll be back." I hoped she would. I didn't want Sage thinking I didn't care. I knew it was silly, but I needed him to know I'd be here for him.

"Of course," she nodded. I turned around and began to walk towards the hospital exit. The lights went off one by one as I made my way out into the chilly air. My feet, slow and constant footsteps that trotted on the wet asphalt. I hated the rain.

**VV**

I turned off the engine and took out the keys, resting them on my thigh. I breathed in deeply, listening quietly at the light tapping of raindrops hitting the garage roof. I waited patiently, expecting my mother to burst in through the door at the top of the stairs, barking questions at my irresponsive mind. I was dazed by the whole situation, what were Sage's reasons to believing he was to blame? Why was he so convinced, so drenched in his own guilt? He hadn't set the fire, he couldn't have. So why did he insist on the responsibility of his mother's death?

I sighed and checked my appearance in the rear view mirror, I looked terrifying. My hair was one large knot of ink-black bristles, my face blotchy and my eyes swollen, with dark crimson rings below them, as if I'd been crying for hours. I didn't recall letting any tears slip in the past couple of hours, but I felt it, a punch to the stomach. The sorrow pulling at my heart-strings, the sadness scratching my throat for a woman I'd never even met.

I pushed the door open and dragged my feet up the steps, slowly entering the kitchen. The kitchen that could've belonged to me, you never saw any of the vampires around here. The kitchen, like my room, was my area; it was open and at the very centre of the building, at the view for all eyes, yet you never caught anyone looking. Nobody was interested enough.

I felt my stomach tremble under my coat; I pulled it off, setting it on one of the high metallic stools and walked over to the fridge. I was starving, indeed, but nothing appealed me dearly. I decided on a good old bowl of cereal, it never went wrong and was always incredibly satisfying. I pulled out the milk carton and walked across the room to grab the box of cereal. I sat quietly along with the crunching of my meal, gazing at nothing in particular, my mind in wonder.

Where was everybody? They had gone hunting not long ago, why would they go again, and so soon? Nothing made sense lately and it was really starting to become unnervingly frustrating.

As I put everything away I realized how comfortable I felt in the silence. So much seemed to have happened in the past couple of weeks, reminded myself of the events and decisions spun my mind in circles, leaving me clueless as to where I was to turn to next. The silence, a dear melody that pranced along my eardrums, it reminded me of one of my favorite sounds. A sound I'd nearly forgotten about.

I paced to the living room, my slow steps in synchronization to my peaceful heartbeat. The house felt so empty, yet I felt comfortable. I was used to being home on my own whenever the family went hunting, but I'd never realized just how much I enjoyed it in _this_ particular house, until now. Raindrops glided down the large windows, rushing from the top to the bottom in a speedy race. They reminded me of the tears I'd let go of not too long ago, they reminded me of sadness… but they were still unable of removing me from my unexplainable bliss. I felt confused and worried, I felt anxious and angry and filled with sadness, yet I still managed to feel okay; for no reason whatsoever.

I ran my hands across the keys lightly as I walked around to seat myself at the large and black grand piano. I inhaled and closed my eyes as I rested the palms of my hands on the smooth ivory, one by one I let each note play, fulfilling into a soft melody I hadn't heard in far too long. I had forgotten the rush of joy one piece could bring to me, its voice speaking to me in a language few could understand. I didn't open my eyes, but suddenly noticed a presence next to me, two hands joined and played along with mine; the harmony contorting into conversation only the two of us could speak. I felt a smile grow upon my face, I missed smiling. Emotion filled me as the music slowly came to a close, I thought I'd forgotten happiness; I'd almost given up on feeling that way again. Almost… until now.

I wasn't afraid of opening my eyes, I was just worried I was imaging the rush. But as I carefully blinked away the darkness, I caught her mesmerizing stare looking straight at me. I wrapped my arms around her and sighed, "I'm sorry, mom. I'm so sorry."

I felt her pull away, she touched my shoulders and held me there, as for me to keep her gaze. I didn't mean to cry, but I felt how my eyes glazed and tears spilled over. I didn't want to seem weak, I wasn't weak, but no matter how hard I tried it seemed impossible to convince a family like mine. "Honey, honey don't cry," my mother wiped the tears from my cheeks and pulled me in for another tight hug. She felt strong and cold, yet I was comforted by it, it was what I was used to. "You don't have to apologize for anything, dear." She stroked my hair, "In any case, I do. I apologize for the fighting and the protectiveness, I apologize for not accepting the fact that you won't turn out the way I hoped for you to be," I looked at her, it seemed as if she wanted to cry, but was unable to. She smiled, "You turned out better."

* * *

**Ok... so next chapter will be Rose POV unless I randomly decide to change that.**

**I really hope you liked this! I know it's short... but it's necessary. I love you guys soooo much and thank you a billion times for your ongoing support and your putting up with my turtle-speed self. I'm hoping chapter 12 won't take too long to be up *fingers crossed***

**BTW, if you're wondering what song Luna and Rose played... it's called "The Rain Theme" (youtube) /watch?v=OeLhhEfyjvQ so go ahead and check it out! I listened to this over and over while writing this chapter... maybe it'll make reading this more vivid! You decide! (PS: If you guys like this, we can maybe start a playlist... I give you songs to listen to at the beginning of every chapter and then you guys read along to the music. Thoughts?)**

**I'll be waiting for those reviews... so please remember! ;) **

******Love you all soooo much! **

******Saskia xx**


	12. Forgiveness Comes In Handy

**Hey! So I'm finally back! I'm not even going to bother giving you all a 20 paragraphed text about how terrible I feel. To cut it short, IB isn't cutting me any slack... as was expected, and school has been the greatest pain in my rear end as I have never felt it before. They even had me working during my holidays! NOT FAIR, I TELL YOU! Either way, I think you're the one's that I've truly treated unfairly. It was very wrong of me to leave you all behind like that. So as the summer holidays are getting closer, so are my finals... but for now I think I'll be able to get a couple more chapters up.**

**This one ended up being a Luna POV... I don't know, it just felt right. But I hope you all enjoy it, ignoring the VERY LONG wait.**

**And as the chapter title says, "Forgiveness comes in handy!" (so please don't kill me? :S)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

_**Chapter 12**_

"Mom, you can't imagine what happened," I needed to explain to her why I'd been away for so long. I felt no regret in spending those hours comforting Sage, but I still felt like I owed my mother a proper explanation. I was tired of all the conflict that had been going on and the last thing I wanted in this very moment of peace and forgiveness, as the rain drops played their own game of tag down the glass walls that surrounded the piano room, was for my mom to freak about my temporary disappearance.

I was calm, or at least, I had been, up until the point where I began to describe to my mother Sage's injuries and the destruction of his home. Only then did I begin shaking uncontrollably in fear and sadness, "His burns and his home, mom… his father, and" I gasped for air, "his mother," I sobbed. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I saw us in their position, mom. I'm sorry. I really am, I take back everything I said. Please know that I didn't mean any of it. I was angry and immature and—" my mother cut me off.

"Sweety, relax… I forgive you, my love," she pulled me in for another tight hug. "Nothing will happen to us, baby. We're safe. I promise you. Nothing will happen. You will be safe. You will have all of us here to protect you, always," she whispered soothingly.

"Is that why you're always so frantic about my location every second of every minute of every hour of every day?" I chuckled through the tears, silently smiling to myself.

The edges of my mother's lips formed a small curve, "Well of course, baby. I've always been exceedingly stressed about your well being, I want you to be ok. You know how I don't agree with your plan to change into one of us so early, you know that I would want you to wait, but as after eighteen you have your rights to free will and you have convinced our entire family with your inexorable strive already, I've had to keep my plans for you to myself. It might have taken me seventeen years to realize that it's your life and that you're a responsible and mature enough young lady to make your own decisions, but you need to understand that all I've ever wanted is for you to be happy. I've finally come to terms with myself that my unnecessary outbursts of protectiveness are but normal for every parent. I was told that it would fade over time, that someday I would be able to let go and trust your instincts instead of having to rely on mine all the time, but I suppose they left out how difficult this would all be," she sighed. "I love you, my Luna," she smiled as another salty tear streaked down my face, and with that we both turned back to the piano and continued playing, our hands stroking the keys in coordination.

_**VV**_

Sunday. Still raining. Fantastic.

I woke up to the white light that fell in through my glass walls from the grey sky above. I could hear a silent ticking to my left, right next to my ear. My alarm clock... _Crap! MY ALARM CLOCK!_ I shot up from bed and headed straight to my closet, checking the time on the way, 10:15. Dammit, with the hours of deep conversation and piano playing I'd had with my mother last night, I'd completely forgotten about setting my alarm clock for today. I had been hoping to get some homework done before heading off to the hospital to make Sage some company, but I suppose that that could now wait; I'd get it done there.

I pulled on the first thing I caught glimpse of; black jeans, a fitted blue shirt, and a pair of yellow Wellingtons. I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed down to the kitchen for a quick bite. The whole family was already up, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper as well as Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward were doing their usual gag-worth demonstrations of affection in their own corners of the living room, while my parents were together in the kitchen preparing my breakfast, and my grandparents were cutely reading the newspaper together.

I didn't mind how everyone seemed so in love and full of each-others' existence, in fact I found how they could love each other so much admiring; only sometimes, when it was constantly thrown at my face publicly, I would begin feeling rather lonely. I would have loved having the opportunity to meet someone and fall in love during my human years, but knowing that this phase in my life was soon coming to a close made me second-guess things. It made me second-guess people like Sage, it made me second-guess our date, it made me second-guess our kiss; because no matter how much I had enjoyed myself, I knew very well that I could never burden Sage with my already determined fate.

"How come none of you woke me up?" I asked, thinking aloud.

"We didn't know we had to," asked my father. He was right, I hadn't told anyone I was leaving to the hospital this morning. I suppose I'd left that little bit out to my mother in the midst of our midnight conversation.

"I didn't think I had to... Edward?" I responded, turning my attention to my uncle, still all over Bella, who giggled uncontrollably. "Guys, please! Keep it PG, will you?"

"Sorry, Luna. I myself didn't think it necessary either after your conversation with your mother last night. I figured the subject would have come around on its own," Edward smiled apologetically.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" My mother exclaimed exasperatedly, " Luna?"

"My plan was to go visit Sage. You know, go check up on him, do some homework, keep him company," I explained, directing my attention back to my mom.

"Luna dear, it's Sunday. Why don't you stay and spend some time with your family? It'll be fun," she replied hopefully.

"I'll be back mom; it's just for a couple of hours. I'll be home a bit after lunch, and then we can do whatever, I promise."

"Ok," she smiled and as I turned my heel I heard my mother call again behind me, "Your breakfast, hun." My mother was holding a brown paper bag over the counter, waiting for me to turn back and take it. I did and kissed her on the cheek, but before I could head to the car once again, she held my wrist and whispered, "I put two sandwiches, one for Sage… if there's one thing that hasn't changed over the years it's hospital food," she chuckled, "It'll always be terrible."

"Hey!" my grandfather called out from his seat on the couch, I smiled and turned one last time to the garage entrance.

_**VV**_

"Hey, sickbird, how are you feeling?" I smiled as I walked into Sage's room at quarter past twelve. The same kind nurse as yesterday was fixing the tube work connected to Sage's slightly healthier appearance.

"Starved… and I have to admit I have been better," Sage chuckled to himself, I was glad to see he was in a better mood today. I didn't expect it, especially considering all that had happened, but I was relieved that he was catching up to his sarcastic self. It was healthier, for both of our sakes.

"Lunch is in fifteen minutes, I'll make sure you're one of the first to get your meal," the nurse tapped Sage's shoulder, smiled, and walked out the door.

"Did she just flirt with me?" Sage whispered, leaning closer to me. I had brought up one of the armchairs closer to his bed and was sitting comfortably in it. I honestly felt sorry for Sage, my back still hurt from the rock hard bed he still found himself in.

"Did she just bat your eyes at you?" I replied incredulously, scooting even closer in order to keep our voices down to the most minimal.

"I think so," Sage shuddered sardonically. "Not that she isn't pretty or around my age or whatever, it's just that I don't think I'm very comfortable with her seeing me naked anymore when it comes to her helping me to the shower," he churned. There was a small pause of silence and then we both broke out laughing, Sage's heart beat ticking quicker through the monitor.

"So how long did the doctors say you'll have to stay?" I asked apologetically curious.

"Well, I don't have many severe external injuries. Just a few burns here or there," I stared blankly as Sage continued to talk about his burns like they were nothing. _NOTHING? Had he gone mad?_ But I decided to keep my silence, for I knew all too well how things turned out in my moments of hysteria. "They mainly said that I had inhaled enough smoke to weaken my immune system for some time. So until I'm fully rested and my burns finish receiving the treatment they need. Two weeks tops," Sage shrugged.

"Two weeks? Isn't that more serious than you're trying to shove it off by?" I asked unbelievingly.

"I'm more worried about my nutrition, to be honest," Sage chortled "The food here is crap," he whispered, just in time for the nurse to walk back into the room, tray in hand. She left everything perfectly set up for Sage, batted her eyes once more, and then walked back out, wiggling her behind a tad too much in the process.

"I don't even think that's allowed!" I exclaimed, sighing to myself. "Doesn't that break the patient, doctor rule, or something?"

"Jealous maybe?" Sage cocked an eyebrow jokingly.

"Oh, get over yourself, will you?" I smacked him, playfully.

"Ow!" he cried and I brought a finger to my lip, signaling him to quiet down before he attracted the pathetic excuse for a nurse back into the room.

Sage looked down at his plate of food, poking and prodding and the gross mush the nurse had served, "Urg… see what I mean? How am I meant to survive?"

I smiled at him and took the plate from his tray, leaving the water and the apple that had also been served untouched. I headed to the toilet, tiptoeing in case anyone overheard Sage's shouted out exclamations, "Where are you going with that? Hey, that's my only food!"

"Shut up, will you?" I whispered, and turned back towards the bathroom. I dumped the nasty glop into the toilet, flushed it down, and returned to Sage, setting his now empty plate back in its original spot.

"What'd you do that for?" he whined.

"I brought you some real food," I said, throwing him a sandwich which he caught mid-air.

"Thanks," he smiled in gratitude. "First actual meal in 24 hours," he laughed, chomping down the sandwich in almost one bite.

"Slow down, I've barely finished un-wrapping mine!" I chuckled.

"That's because you're not actually hungry," he said mouth-full, snatching a piece from my sandwich.

I clutched the snack tightly to my chest, facetiously daring him to take another bite, "Back down, tiger… this is mine."

* * *

**I hope you guys liked this one ^^ sweet endings FTW!**

**Thank you all so much for putting up with me... I LOVE YOU! **

**Now don't forget to R&R! Until next time :)**

**Saskia xx**


End file.
